


The Foster Sister and the Soldier

by AmySear



Series: The Foster Sister and the Soldier [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Awesome Darcy Lewis, Bucky Barnes Feels, Could be Reader/James 'Bucky' Barnes if you replace yourself with the OC, Explicit Language, F/M, Jane Foster Loves Science, Jane Foster's Little Sister, Maybe some smut later if I can pull it off. Maybe., Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Origin Story, Protective Bucky Barnes, possible triggers for alcohol abuse and crappy ex-boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 02:21:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 33,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4504173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmySear/pseuds/AmySear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane Foster's little sister comes to Stark Tower to help Steve Rogers with a mission that requires her expertise in history ("History. What a joke!" as Tony would say). She wasn't planning on falling for a certain ex-HYDRA super soldier. Really. She just was excited for the free booze.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Marvel or any of the Marvel characters. Rated Explicit for explicit language and some smutty smut.
> 
> This is a prequel to my 'The Foster Sister and the Soldier' series. You can read this independently or read the series to figure out where the characters are headed in a few years :) 
> 
> This does not take into account the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron or Captain America: Civil War.
> 
> I appreciate you taking the time to read!

Despite being Captain America, Steve Rogers sure as hell felt unpatriotic as he tried to focus on Fury giving the latest recap on the last HYDRA cell raid. The glimpses of men shooting at each other with gunfire exploding in the background flashed in his mind. He pushed aside the papers in front of him with a huff and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“What’s the status on the maps recovered from HYDRA, Cap? What are we dealing with?” Nick Fury turned his attention toward Steve from the other side of the room. The rest of the Avengers scattered around the table stared at Steve Rogers with an expectant look on their faces. The Captain continued staring at the table as he tried to formulate an answer. All the Avengers were busy these days working on specific projects to unravel whatever HYDRA’s new plan was. Stark and Banner were still focused on decoding the new weapons recovered from the last HYDRA base, Natasha and Clint were tracking down suspected undercover HYDRA sympathizers, Thor and Jane were still studying the convergence to prevent a repeat of New York and London, and Sam was bouncing back and forth from his job at the VA hospital which he had a hard time giving up. And Steve? Well, Steve had one job. He was given an arm full of scrolls and a zipdrive outlining ancient and modern battle sites to figure out why they were important to HYDRA. He was a soldier after all. Should be easy, right? Wrong. All he knew is that HYDRA liked killing people and people died at these battles. 

“Uh…earth to Cap. Status update?” Tony Stark repeated when there was no answer. 

“I don’t know, alright!” Steve’s eyes shot up with an angry scowl. “What we gathered from HYDRA databases piece together weird snippets of battles from the American Revolution to Medieval England to Ancient Egypt. It’s a mess!” His face softened a bit as he sighed. “I just…I haven’t had a chance to sort through of all it. Not with Bucky being back and trying to adjust. I need more time.”

James ‘Bucky’ Barnes had reunited with Captain Rogers six months ago when he showed up looking broken, homeless, and dirty in the lobby of Stark tower. ‘I know you,’ Bucky said simply when Steve raced down to greet him. Memories were sparking in Bucky’s mind now that he wasn’t being tortured and wiped clean constantly, but he still had moments of unstableness and violence. These days he spent his time staring out of the apartment window he shared with Steve while the Cap told him stories from their war days or he was silently sipping coffee in the background while the team got together for dinner or debriefings. Today Bucky had chosen to stay behind to continue reading the American history book Natasha had gotten him. Steve couldn’t help but smirk to himself at Bucky’s partings words of, ‘Fury is a dick. I would rather read about dirty hippies in the 60s then listen to his horseshit’. At least the Bucky he knew and loved was starting to piece himself back together. 

While others around the table nodded in agreement at the plight Steve was facing, Nick Fury shook his head. “Time is something we don’t have. HYDRA had pages detailing these periods in history for a reason.” The eye-patched man took a deep breath. “I don’t say this often, but this shit is out of our expertise. This goes beyond looking up facts in a book. We need to bring in someone else.”

Maria Hill cleared her throat. “Sir, no one else on staff has these kind of credentials. We would need someone to be proficient in----“

“History!” Stark sneered as if it were a dirty word. “What a waste of time!” 

“There must be someone we know who spends their life studying this stuff? Maybe Selvig?” Fury asked.

Thor shook his head. “Nay, Selvig does not study matters of past times…but I believe my Lady Jane knows someone who does. If my mind is not mistaken, I think it is a friend of my lady. I have heard her speak before of such a person spending their time to study such matters.”

For the first time in a while, Steve Roger’s eyes lit up. Was it really that easy? Had his stubbornness prevented him from asking for help and therefore delayed his project for no reason? “Really, Thor? Can you call Jane immediately and have her get us in touch with that person?”

“I shall do it at once, Captain Rogers,” the Asgardian said with a pleasant smile.

Fury sighed with a shrug. “Make it happen, Cap. Whoever this person is just bring them in. Let’s get this bullshit taken care of once and for all.”

“A history person in my tower? Unbelievable,” Stark muttered as the group dismissed. 

*****************************************************************************************

“Thanks for doing this for us, Darce,” Steve Rogers smiled sheepishly with a slight blush. “Thor got called to help out Clint and Natasha before he could let us know the details on meeting up with Jane.”

“It’s no problemo, Cap! Mi scientist es tu scientist. She actually has JARVIS programmed not to bother her while she is science-ing in the lab. It’s better that you found me first. She’s grumpy when she gets interrupted,” the brunette winked. 

When it came to anything relating to Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis would be involved. After all Darcy had survived a killer robot in New Mexico, an alien attack in New York (yeah, only Jane was sent away. Darcy was left behind to face all that shit!), and Santa’s little elves gone wild in London. After that last little incident, Jane promised to actually start paying Darcy and actually got her hired at Stark Industries as her lab assistant. Not bad for a political science major! When Darcy moved into Stark Tower, she found herself getting chummier with a certain former frozen solider (the apple pie one, not the killer robot one!). So she was MORE than happy to go out of her way to help Mr. I-have-a-hot-ass-Rogers. 

“Are you sure about this then? Should we be interrupting?” Steve asked Darcy as he cast a wary glance toward his shadow who was a step behind him. Usually Bucky didn’t want to follow him down into the labs but he suspected that the Sergeant wanted to scope out the newcomer for any threats. 

Darcy nodded enthusiastically while trying to suppress the blush that escaped her whenever she looked at Captain America. “Jane texted me earlier and said Amy got here about an hour ago. Plus the poor girl will never escape Jane if Jane doesn’t get interrupted. It’s best to pull the Band-Aid off all at once. Who knows…maybe she is a looker and Bucky will have a date night buddy!”

The Winter Soldier did not look amused and instead stared at Darcy blankly. “Or not…” Darcy mumbled under her breath as the elevator descended. The doors opened with a ding on one of the lab floors. 

The Captain continued with his line of questioning as he tried not to get distracted by the lab assistant’s backside. That was one distraction his mind seemed to enjoy, but he frequently had to shut down. He had more problems than trying to work up the courage to ask Miss Lewis out! “Who is this girl? Amy? How does Jane know her?”

Darcy shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve never met her. But Jane was adamant she was the one for the job…even if she did look a little hesitant. Still. I trust her judgment. But it’s still good you’re meeting Amy right away, just in case. Jane can be a little unobservant when she’s science-ing. Not even a gun shot could break her from her work!”

“Doubt that,” a raspy voice mumbled softly from behind. 

Darcy whipped around to face the ex-Hydra agent who looked at her neutrally, though she detected a faint eyebrow raise.

Steve was shaking his head. “That’s not a funny joke, Buck.”

Now it was Darcy’s turn to raise her brow in surprise. The Winter Soldier was cracking a joke? And more importantly, Steve actually understood it? The man had been Steve’s shadow for six months and hardly ever said a word. Darcy felt her mind start to plot as she realized the robot had a sense of humor. She could have a platonic new best friend in the future. “Gentlemen, may I present the lab of dreams,” she announced in a British voice as she swiped her badge and led the duo into the lab. 

Jane's lab was full of beeping machines and a large screen showing the Milky Way galaxy. Darcy navigated through the clutter of desks and tables like a pro as her eyes immediately spotted the prize. Bingo. An unknown female subject lying on her back with her eyes closed on a nearby table. Captain America took a step closer and realized the woman was not Jane Foster. “Uhh, hello there? Are you okay?” 

Good ol’ Steve and his compassion for all broken souls. The man dressed in dark fighting clothes on the Captain’s left did not look as sympathetic. His upper lip was curled slightly and his weight was shifted back as though he was bracing for an outburst.

“Oh my god. Jane actually bored someone to death!” Darcy exclaimed with her hands in the air.

The super soldier rolled his eyes. Steve turned around to find a knife in Bucky’s hand as he swooped to the other side of the table to inspect the individual. “She’s just sleeping, Buck!” Steve scolded as they got closer. There was a trail of drool along the girl’s cheek and a bottle of whiskey with contents that were dangerously low by her side. 

“Dr. Foster?” Steve called hesitantly in the empty lab.

There was a moment of pure silence.

“Hey! Wake up!” Darcy shouted as she gave the girl’s arm a pinch. 

The girl’s eyes shot open and she sat up with a shriek. Her shock caused her to roll off the table in the waiting arms of the Winter Soldier who quickly pulled her arms behind her back and put the knife to her throat. 

“Identify yourself!” his raspy voice snarled as the girl winced under the hold of his metal arm. 

The lab door opened with a beep as Jane came back in with a coffee in hand. She stopped dead in her tracks as she observed the sight before her. “Holy shit!” she shrieked as the coffee dropped and splashed all over. “What did my sister do??” 

“Sister?” Darcy practically shouted in surprise.

“Sister?” Steve repeated.

“I didn’t do shit! Why do you always blame me!” the girl yelled back as she unsuccessfully tried to escape the Winter Soldier’s hold. 

“Let her go, Buck. She’s a civilian. Safe,” Steve said firmly as his friend reluctantly released the girl’s arms. 

The girl took a step back and (to the shock of everyone in the room) hit Bucky on his chest. “Fucking asshole! Fuck you and your creepy metal arm! I was trying to sleep off the spins. Not get my throat cut. I’m too drunk for his bullshit---ahh!” She took a step closer to Steve as the former HYDRA solider growled----yes growled!----at her in response. “Call off your robot friend, dude!” she yelled to Captain America. 

Robot friend?? Darcy’s eye-brows disappeared in her hair as the grin grew wider on her face. “This is your sister? The sister you have only briefly mentioned with a disapproving purse of the lips whenever your family gets brought up??” she asked again. She cocked her head to the side as she peered at the specimen over her glasses. The woman in front of her had the same petite frame as her boss but was a little more muscular like she actually walked around in the light of day, or---gasp---took time to work out! Her hair hit slightly past her shoulders, but was a darker red hue instead of the mousy brown Darcy was used to staring at from the back of a computer in Stark Labs. 

The girl was still stretching out her sore arms and snorted. “Not by choice, believe me.”

“Oh kiss my ass, Amy. I leave you for five minutes for a coffee and you’re already getting yourself killed!” Jane scolded as she took a napkin to the wet spots on her pants. 

“Again, how about we blame the guy trying to kill me and not me??” her sister rolled her eyes, “I woke up to someone getting handsy with me. Not the first time that has happened!”

“Well then stop drinking!”

“Get a life, Jane and stop trying to run mine!”

“I do! It’s called science. Why don’t you get a real job that doesn’t involve studying dead people??”

“Why don’t you have your god-boyfriend fuck you more often to get the stick outta your ass!”

“Why don’t you----“ 

Jane’s remark was cut short by Captain Rogers clearing his throat. “Ma’am,” he turned his attention to Jane’s sister who was wiping her dried drool off her shirt. “Are you the expert sent to help us in our mission?....” Steve looked the girl over. She was wearing jean shorts that were dangerously short and a black tank top with a skull that was wrinkled and stained with some sort of food item. Her hair was messy, her eyes bright red…nothing about her screamed historian. 

The redhead stopping moving and stared daggers at the Captain. Bucky didn’t miss the motion and tightened his hold around the knife. “What? Am I not what you were expecting all dressed in red, white, and blue with a ribbon? Of course I’m here to fucking help otherwise I wouldn’t willingly come within 50 feet of my asshole sister. The only reason I’m here is to avoid that clusterfuck of a situation involving shithead elves and helicopter’s gone wild crashing all over the place. I’m good and I know I’m good so I'm the person for the job. So yes, I’m the one here to help.”

“We talked that time in London!” Darcy blurted out as she realized the origins of the woman’s voice. “After the elves left you called your sister to make sure she was okay and I picked up! I remember I admired your ability to swear.”

Jane rolled her eyes and mumbled something about needing better help as she threw napkins on the ground to pick up the spilled liquid. Jane’s sister smiled and began chuckling as she made the connection. “That’s right! You’re Lewis! I hear you give my sister a bad time almost as much as me. I’m Amy.”

“Call me Darcy. This is---“

“I know who he is,” Amy arched an eyebrow and picked up the bag at her feet. “And I know who he is too,” she gestured her head behind her where Bucky was still silently scowling. With her duffel bag in her hand and whiskey bottle in the other, she gestured her head toward the door and waited for Steve to move. 

Steve looked like a man who was severely regretting his decisions. He should’ve known better than to ask for help. Look what is got him! “So. Ahem. Uhh, well, do you know where you are staying in the Tower?”

Amy looked at him like he was crazy. “I’m not staying with my sister.” (She ignored Jane calling, ‘Damn right you aren’t!’) “So that leaves your place…..you’re the one who wanted my help, right?”

The Captain’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Bucky’s jaw was clenching in protest. “Well…er…” he began awkwardly. “We weren’t expecting any company. I’m sure Stark could set you up in your own apartment if you need? Or maybe even you can stay with Darcy?” 

“You’re not staying with them, Amelia!” Jane said as she threw away the soiled napkins. “Just ask Stark to give you a guest apartment.”

Amy ignored her sister and eyed the Captain. “Listen, Star Spangled Banner. You’re a good guy. I’ve seen you all on television. But I’m kinda drunk as fuck right now and I don’t want to be around my sister. Lewis is cool, but she looks like all sorts of trouble for me. Normally I love getting into trouble, but not if it involves saving the world or some moral shit like that. So if I’m going to work with you on a project, then I am in it 110% until it is solved and then I’ll get the fuck outta here. If I stay anywhere else, you’re gonna get 25% of me with my attention distracted elsewhere. I’ll stay out of your hair and Mr. Metal Arm over there. You won’t even know I’m here!”

“Mr. Metal Arm??? Do you have any idea who you are talking to??” Jane repeated incredulously. Bucky had relaxed slightly and had his head tilted as he stared at the younger Foster to wait for her answer.

Amy cracked her neck as she adjusted the large bag on her side. “Seeing as I’m a GENIUS, I can pretty much take a wild guess that this is the creepy guy from the DC footage that Captain America is trying really hard not to kill. The rest of America may not know their fucking American history, but I do. And there’s only one fucking person who disappeared from radar that Steve Rodgers would pursue like a madman. So yeah, it must be Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes of the Howling Commandos and Captain freaking America Steve Rogers.” She turned her attention back to Steve and Bucky. “Do you guys have any aspirin around here? Because I’m about to crash hard.”

“We better get you settled then,” Darcy practically giggled as she swung an arm around her new friend to lead her out of the lab. “C’mon gentlemen!”

Steve waited until the girls had exited the room before he gave Jane an accusatory glare. “That’s who you recommended to me??”

Jane shrugged as she sat down in her chair with a huge sigh. “My own personal hell. She may be my little sister but she’s like a tornado. And yeah…that’s who I recommended. I hate to admit it but she’s a genius when it comes to history…it’s the only thing she takes seriously.”

Captain Rogers nodded to that and clapped Bucky on the shoulder to lead him out of the room. “Steve!” Jane called from behind. Steve turned around. Jane cast a wary eye on Bucky who stared blankly at her. “Keep an eye on her for me…..and keep her away from whiskey.”

The astrophysicist thought she detected the briefest tug on the corners of Sergeant Barnes mouth while Steve nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll try my best ma’am. But I make no promises.”


	2. Chapter 2

“So…what’s the verdict?” Captain Rogers asked cautiously as he watched the younger Foster sister study the map in front of her.

“These are definitely battle sites of the revolution. But it doesn’t make sense. See this marking here…”Amy pointed to the map as Steve peered down. “This is the Battle of White Plains. It’s a battle in the New York colony. British victory. But there’s nothing historically significant about it. It’s just a battle.”

Steve pushed another map in front of her. “What about this?”

Amy pulled the map closer to her and studied it for a moment. “This is a map of Ramesses II military campaign. But again, these records are so unreliable. Egyptians categorized prophecies, dreams, or even wishful thinking as written word. There’s no archaeological evidence of these battle grounds.”

Steve stood upright and placed his hands on his muscular hips. “Well hell. Why would HYDRA be interested in these battles if there’s a chance they don’t even exist?”

Darcy took a sip of her coffee and moaned loudly so all the occupants in the room looked at her. “What? It’s just we’ve been talking history for, like, 5 hours already. And it’s a Saturday. We should get a break!” 

Steve looked at the brunette lab assistant with a small smile. The poor girl was right. They had been talking history non-stop for the last half day. He stole a glance at the younger Foster sister who was still pouring over maps. True to her word Amy woke up in the morning by pounding back a cup of coffee and demanding to be filled in on the problem. Then she went straight to work. She didn’t even stop when Darcy showed up with a box full of Steve’s favorite bagels. “Sorry, Darce. You don’t need to stick around with us while we work.”

“It’s kinda part of my job description now to stick around…Jane wants to make sure her sister is looked after,” Darcy said with a chuckle as Amy shot her a dirty look, finally looking up from her map.

“You and I are the same fucking age. Tell my sister to lighten up,” Amy replied with a scoff as she pushed the map away from her. 

Darcy pulled out her phone to check her past messages. “No no, it says specifically here that…‘Amy shouldn’t be left alone because she makes questionable choices like sledge hammering her ex-boyfriend’s truck, streaking through gated neighborhoods, and kissing girls whenever a Katy Perry song comes on. She also shouldn’t be near an open bar’…..and so on.” The young former-intern looked up from her phone and flashed Amy a smile. “For the record though, I secretly think you and I are gonna be best friends. Did you really thrash your ex-boyfriend’s truck?? Because if so, I have a list of people I need to give you.”

The younger Foster shrugged and helped herself to one of the beers in the fridge. “He broke my heart, so I broke his truck. He’s lucky it wasn’t his neck.”

Steve furrowed his brow at how sullen Amy appeared as she took a sip from the bottle. “Maybe we can take a break for a while?” he suggested. “Should we order some food?”

“I am craving pasta hardcore, like I can’t live without it,” Darcy said. “What about you, Buck-er-roo, do you want pasta too? We can overrule Steve on his usual pizza fix….”

Bucky shrugged and went back to scowling out the window. A loud buzzing sound echoed in the room. The caller id from Amy's phone said “FUCK THIS ASSHOLE” was calling. Amy practically snarled at the phone as she slammed it down to ignore the call. She took a swig of her beer as if the awkward slam never happened. 

“We can order pasta in,” Steve decided to gloss over the moment. “Darcy, you can pick.”

Amy had wandered over to the couch and rubbed her hands against her face as Steve and Darcy continued to debate lunch in the background. Bucky silently sat on the couch next to her, surprisingly not getting up when she sat down. “Do you think you can teach me? How to break a neck, that is? That would be fucking fantastic,” she mumbled to the soldier under her breath.

The Winter Soldier slowly turned his head to face her. “I’d do it for ya,” he rasped in a voice that was hardly used. 

Green eyes shot up to meet the lifeless blue eyes of the assassin. A brief moment of vulnerability passed between the two as Amy let down her usual humor-defense. She nodded thoughtfully. “That makes you and me new best friends. Cheers pal,” Amy saluted with her beer. 

Bucky tightened his jaw, intending to tell her that he shouldn’t be anyone’s friend, but she already was standing up from the couch to walk back to the maps at the table. 

***********************************************************************************************

After a big meal full of enough pasta to make Darcy stop her snark and throw goo-goo eyes at the Captain and another long set of hours of pure researching, Amy excused herself for an early bedtime to the spare bedroom she commandeered from Steve. She wasn’t surprised to find herself wide awake at one in the morning with all the thoughts troubling her brain. After tossing and turning for a few more unsuccessful minutes, she threw off the covers and walked to the kitchen of the apartment. She jumped with a silent gasp as she discovered she wasn’t alone. Sergeant Barnes was sitting at the counter staring wordlessly at her with his long hair tied back in a bun and his black sweatpants and dark shirt blending in with the shadows behind him. 

“Shit you scared me,” Amy mumbled as she self-consciously tugged on her long pajama shirt that barely covered her pink panties. 

The former assassin simply shrugged. Amy stood still for a moment, unsure of what to do, before deciding to move forward as previously planned. She opened the freezer to pull out a bottle of vodka that Natasha graciously had delivered to the apartment through a lower agent after Darcy texted her the opening lines of Amy's introduction to Captain America.

“Want any?” Amy asked the shadowed man who shook his head in response. “Yeah didn’t think so,” she muttered as she poured herself a shot-or two-or four-in a tumbler. 

She awkwardly stood against the counter as she swallowed a large burning gulp of the liquid. She gripped her phone in her hand, the source of all her troubling thoughts. She fingered it slightly before setting it down on the counter. She looked away before Bucky could see the tears pooling in her eyes. (She failed). Another gulp of the liquid pushed the tears away. 

Amy cleared her throat, the alcohol begging her to release her word vomit. “So. Ahem. That call earlier. The caller is my ex-boyfriend.” Bucky inclined his head toward her to show her he was listening. Amy continued on after another sip. “We split up a couple months ago. He was cheating. Cheating a lot. He was no Prince Charming and I sure as hell didn’t love him…..but he’s like the third guy in a row to do that to me. But when he did it, it hurt a lot more than usual. Not sure why. Makes sleeping now hard as fuck. I used to think my sister was full of shit or jealous when she lectures me…but hell, she’s the one living in Stark Tower and dating a god. And where am I? A fucking genius living in California as an ASSISTANT museum curator in a small time Egyptian museum. Fucking A,” she downed the last of the liquid with a bitter scoff. 

She risked a glance up to find blue eyes still on her, his expression seemingly softer. “But that’s all our little secret. No one else needs to know about him or anything really. I guess my point in all that was just to tell you that I don’t really want anyone dead no matter how angry I am. You seem like the kinda guy who would deliver…” she trailed off lamely.

“You’re right,” a gruff voice replied. 

His response actually made Amy chuckle. “I wouldn’t want to be on your bad side, Sergeant. I’ll try to stay on your good side from now on.” She deposited her empty glass in the sink. “Your Russian alcohol is failing to make me tired. Would I bother you if I watch a little tv?”

Bucky shook his head. He surprised her by standing up first to turn on the television and handing the remote to her. Amy nodded her head in gratitude and took a seat on the couch. She can’t remember what episode she fell asleep on while watching 'The Brady Bunch' but she woke up with a blanket on her and the room empty. But, for the first time in a long time, her heart did not feel so empty. 

**********************************************************************************************

Darcy came over again that afternoon when Steve called her that Amy had a breakthrough. She gave a hesitant smile to Bucky who answered the door and wordlessly let her in. She followed the sound of Amy talking nonstop to the kitchen where she was zipping around with a spoon in her hand as she continued prattling to Steve about some connection.

“Whoa whoa!” Darcy stopped her as she put her arms up to halt the chatter. “What did I miss?”

“The fucking million dollar connection! It’s the battle leaders! That’s how they are all connected!” Amy declared as she threw a mountain of cheese in a saucepan. 

Darcy furrowed her brow. “Like the military dudes in charge? What does that have to do with anything??” 

Amy licked her lips as though excited to explain. “Well my dear Darcy, all the leaders in those battles have been written about in folklore or legend about having some sort of special quality or power or supernatural element that allowed their victory. But written accounts are pretty vague on what the power actually was.”

“But I bet you HYDRA is determined to find out what it is to build themselves a similar military leader……IF there is any truth to the legends,” Steve added with a face of grim determination. 

“Precisely,” Amy nodded as she poured her melted cheese mixture over noodles. Darcy watched in amazement as Amy scooped her macaroni and cheese into a bowl and slid it over to Bucky who stared at it in confusion from his spot on the kitchen stool. 

“You gotta eat sometime too,” Amy said simply as she continued plating bowls for the others, though Darcy thought she could see a faint blush at the redhead’s cheeks. 

Bucky didn’t respond, but instead hesitantly picked up the spoon and scrutinized the neon pasta. After a subtle sniff and slow bite, he gave Amy a nod of approval before eating his meal with gusto. Amy tried to hide the smile that risked inching on her face. He was nothing but a new friend to her…or so she kept telling herself…but she found herself oddly wanting to make him happy.

“Well I have to hand it to you, Miss Foster,” Captain Rogers mused as he watched the couple with a shrewd eye, “You’ve only been here a couple days and you already cracked us a lead to go into the field with. We just need to train you up and we can hit the road.”

His words broke Amy from her Bucky-filled day dream. “What??” she and Darcy asked in unison. 

Steve shrugged and took a bite of his food. “I can’t decipher things in the field. I need you to help.” 

“We,” Bucky corrected quietly under his breath. 

Now it was Steve’s turn to look surprised. “What, Buck?”

Bucky gave a wary glance to Amy before he looked back at Steve with a determined face. “You aren’t going anywhere without me, punk. We will train her up and then we will go.”

The Captain looked like he was going to cry for a brief moment before swallowing his joy with a nod. “Fair enough, Sergeant. It’ll be a pleasure to have you join us on a mission again.”

“What about me?? Hello!! Since when does he say things like punk? And since when do I get dragged along to secret agent things?? What the hell is going on?” Amy rambled as she waved the wooden spoon with each sentence she spoke. 

Bucky rolled his eyes. Steve laughed as his friend grabbed the young Foster’s wrist, sat her down on a chair, and pushed a bowl of macaroni and cheese in front of her. “Eat. You’ll need your energy,” he ordered before walking off. 

Amy looked to Steve for help who shrugged and smirked behind his fist. “You better listen to him,“ Steve finally laughed as Darcy was standing shell-shocked next to him. “You wouldn’t like Bucky when he is angry…and it looks like he finally decided that he can trust you. Don't let him down."

******************************************************************************************** 

Jane Foster happily typed on the computer lost in her own world when a shriek broke her concentration. “Holy fuck on a cracker!” her sister shouted as she slammed the door to the lab shut. “Hide me, Janie!” 

Jane narrowed her eyes. “How did you get in here?” 

Amy held up Darcy’s badge between her fingers. Darcy’s head poked up from a nearby desk. “Hey, my badge! Thanks! JARVIS had to let me in this morning.”

“Why are you here,” Jane repeated to her sister as her sister slumped down in a chair next to her.

“I’m fucking hiding, what does it look like? That ex-Russian assassin Howling Commando guy is trying to get me to train like a goddamn James Bond and I’m not doing that shit! I mean I’m in pretty good shape. I workout at step class at the gym and strength train but he’s trying to make me do pull ups and run and push-ups and other stupid army shit!” Amy replied with her head leaning back. 

The astrophysicist’s eyes had trailed back to her computer. “Of course you aren’t doing James Bond stuff…you’re just a history geek.”

“Thank you!” Amy replied as if her sister was the only one making sense.

Darcy smiled devilishly as she peered at Amy over her glasses. “I think Bucky likes you.”

Jane stopped typing as her sister turned an alarming shade of pink. “No! No he doesn’t, he’s just hardcore…” the younger Foster stammered. 

“Oh my god,” Jane said deadpanned. “You have a crush on the Winter Soldier”. 

“No I don’t!” Amy replied too quickly to be taken seriously.

The brunette lab assistant looked smug as she nodded her head firmly. “No shame, my friend. You and him will make beautiful babies. Mark my words!”

Jane looked horrified at the suggestion and visibly shuddered. “Well, at least it’s not the worst decision you’ve ever made, Ames. Good thing he has better taste than that,” Jane giggled at her joke as her sister flipped her the bird. 

“Both of you shut the fuck up!” Amy replied back as she tried to force her skin back to its regular pale shade. 

“Speak of the devil….” Darcy said in a sing-song voice as a face suddenly appeared in the lab window. 

“Save me,” Amy begged one last time as Darcy waved.

The lab assistant looked at her new friend and smiled. “Consider this a favor. You can repay me by making me your future child’s godmother. JARVIS, please let Sergeant Barnes in the lab.” 

The younger Foster groaned as heavy combat boots approached her seat. Jane and Darcy were giggling under their breath. “Let’s go,” a rough voice said as he hauled Amy to her feet and began to half drag her away.

“You’re both dead!! I’ll get you back for this!! Mark my words,” her voice echoed as the door to the lab slammed shut. 

Jane snorted as her eyes found their way back to her data. “Keep an eye on her, Darce. The last thing I need is my sister to get with the Winter Soldier.” She paused and laughed a little harder with a shake of her head. “Amy and Bucky. Like that would ever happen.”

“Aye aye, bosswoman,” Darcy saluted, though the twinkle in her eye had a different opinion.


	3. Chapter 3

“Sore yet?” a voice asked Amy as she plopped down on a chair by the entrance to an indoor gun range.

The redhead narrowed her eyes at the blond man appearing suddenly from across her. He played with an arrow in his hand that had a suction cup on the end. He followed her gaze and chuckled. “Darcy made these for me. I’m on my way to ask her for more. They really drove Stark crazy. But I thought I would stop by to meet the newest recruit….”

“I’m not the newest recruit,” Amy snapped and then winced as her abs protested her sudden movement. 

“Our intel says different.”

The younger Foster nearly jumped outta her seat when another redhead woman spoke from behind her. “Jesus Christ! Is part of the training giving people heart attacks??”

“Perhaps,” the woman said simply with an arched brow. 

Amy frowned at that and scooted her chair over a little. That earned her a laugh from the man. “Darcy wasn’t exaggerating. I like you. I’m---“

“I know who you are,” Amy interrupted with a slight roll of her eyes. They were superheroes. Everyone knew who they were. 

“And we know who you are,” Natasha Romanov said as she sat down next to Clint Barton. 

Amy gulped at the tone of the voice. Maybe she was being rude. “Well…err…good. Don’t judge me based on who my sister is. And thanks for the vodka, by the way. It helps me sleep.”

“You need booze to help you sleep? Sounds like someone has secrets….” Hawkeye grinned as he continued staring at the younger Foster. 

“We all do,” Amy mumbled. She cleared her throat before changing the subject. “But what are you guys doing back? Darcy said you were out following suspected HYDRA people or something?”

The Black Widow smirked. “It is a little bit more complicated than just following people. But we got new temporary orders and got called back.”

“For a new mission,” Clint clarified. “Yours.”

“Mine?? I don’t have a mission. I’m just here to help Steve and Bucky!!” Amy protested with her hands up in surrender.

As if on command, the ding to the elevator revealed the two super soldiers. Steve nodded to Natasha and Clint. Clint responded with an over-the-top military salute. “Captain! Sergeant. We will leave you two with your ward. Let us know when you are ready for take-off in the next week or so….”

“Take off? What does he mean by take off??” Amy demanded as Clint and Natasha began walking toward the elevator. 

“Stop yapping. Get moving,” Bucky interrupted by placing his flesh hand on Amy’s shoulder to begin to push her toward the door to the indoor gun range. 

Steve shrugged to the duo getting in the elevator but couldn’t help but smirk as he followed his friend and the younger Foster through the door. Clint waited until the elevator doors slid shut before looking at Natasha in amazement. “Didya see---“

“Yes.”

“But he never touches---“

“I know.”

“Or speaks! With anyone!”

“I know.”

“Well, what does it mean??”

The Black Widow pondered on Hawkeye’s words for a moment. “I’m…not sure.”

Clint started practically giggling in the elevator car. “Just wait until Tony finds out. Bucky and Amy sittin’ in a tree…..”

Natasha hit him on the arm to silence his singing, but found herself humming the same song.

*******************************************************************************************************

“Have you ever held a gun before?” Steve asked as Amy adjusted the ear protecting headphones on her head in the range. 

“WHAT?” she yelled loudly back. 

The Captain gave her an exasperated smirk before gently pulling the headphones down. “Have you ever held a gun before?”

The redhead shrugged. “A Nerf gun, a water gun…can’t be too different.”

She heard a snort behind her and found Bucky watching from the wall with his arms crossed so his biceps bulged in the artificial lights. “Got something to share with the class, Sergeant?” Amy asked sarcastically. 

Barnes crooked an eyebrow but said nothing more. Instead he gestured his hand in a little twirl to encourage Steve to keep going. “Well,” Steve said loudly to bring Amy’s attention back to him. “This is actually quite different than those things Barton and Darcy run around with. This has power behind it. You need to brace yourself each time you shoot until you get used to the ricochet.” 

The Cap placed a foot in between Amy’s legs as he stepped behind her to hold her hands in the proper placement. “Ready?” he asked as the redhead nodded. “Pull the trigger and shoot!”

Amy squealed, actually SQUEALED, when the bullets shot out of the handgun in rapid fire in different directions and nowhere near the paper target 50 feet away. There was a round of laughter around her as the other agents watched the rookie with shaking heads. One dirty look for Barnes was enough for them to scramble back to their stations or leave the indoor range completely. 

“You can’t be afraid of the gun. It’s just----“ Captain Rogers began before his phone rang. He glanced at the caller id and smiled wistfully. “Hang on a second,” he mumbled. With one click he put the safety on the gun, set it down on the counter, and walked away for privacy. Amy thought she heard him mumble something like “What did he do now, Darce?” as he walked off. 

The younger Foster’s face was still bright red from embarrassment when Bucky hesitantly walked toward her. Reluctant green eyes found his icy stare. “I’m not supposed to shoot guns! I research history. Why am I even here?” she grumbled with her arms crossed.

Bucky shook his head. “Safety,” he grunted as if that explained everything. “Your stance was off. You were leaning forward too much,” he said simply. 

Amy stared at him for a moment and considered his words. The Winter Soldier would know a thing or two about guns after all. Even in his civilian clothes he looked freaking lethal. Not even casual jeans or a black shirt could change that. She licked her lips nervously. She didn’t exactly want to die on whatever mission they had planned for her. Maybe she did need to learn it. “I don’t understand what you mean by leaning forward too much….. Can you…err…well, show me?”

The Winter Soldier froze as his face became guarded. His eyes flickered over to Steve who was still on the phone and paying no attention to them. “You need basic training in order to protect yourself,” he finally settled on after moments of silence.

“Is that a yes?”

“Affirmative.”

“Just say yes,” Amy rolled her eyes as she picked up the handgun. “How do I turned the safety off?” she asked as she began to twirl the gun in her hand.

Bucky’s metal hand grabbed the weapon from her. “Never point a gun toward yourself,” he growled. He placed himself behind her as Steve did before. Amy kept telling herself he felt no different than the Captain, but the static electricity around her was making her heart flutter.

“The safety is turned off here. You click it from behind. Now, keep her arms straight. Eyes forward,” Sergeant Barnes ordered as he placed the cold metal in Amy’s hands. 

Amy hesitated for a moment as she remembered her previous failure. She felt Bucky lean into her more as he placed his palms flat on top of hers. “I’m right here. Shoot.” 

This time she didn’t shriek when the bullets exited the gun because she felt secure in the Russian assassin’s strong arms. She took off her safety glasses and ear phones and laughed in victory as she saw that her bullets hit the paper target this time, surprisingly close to their mark. 

“Did you see that!? I fucking did it! Suck a dick assholes!” the redhead shouted to the other agents still at their stations. She whipped around to face Bucky with the biggest smile on her face. “Did you see that? Did you see how close I got??” 

Amy’s heart leaped as she watched a small smile inch across the Soldier’s face. “Not bad.” 

The younger Foster couldn’t help but blush and cast her eyes downward. Steve conveniently made his reappearance to the group. “Wow, nice job, Amy!” he congratulated with a wary grin toward Bucky. “But we have to get back upstairs. Tony blew up one of the robot prototypes and caused a small fire. That was Darcy on the phone telling me all about it. It looks like they need some back up.”

“Darcy, needed help?” Amy asked with a knowing grin as the Captain simply shrugged with a slight smile. “I’m the only one who can wrangle Tony,” he offered. 

** ************************************************************************************************

“Tell me more about the robot fire, “Amy teased as she wrote down some notes while looking over her maps once again.

Darcy and Amy found themselves back in Steve and Bucky’s apartment while the boys were upstairs briefing everyone on the latest map finds. Apparently Darcy and Amy were too much of a distraction (mostly Darcy distracting Steve!) and therefore could not attend the meeting. 

“Why don’t you tell me more about your ‘workout’ sessions with Buck-er-roo while Steve goes running with Sam?” Darcy shot back.

“Who’s Sam?”

“Irrelevant. You’ll meet him eventually. I’m surprised you haven’t already. Not stop avoiding the question!”

Amy bit her lip as she tried to appear casual. “It’s nothing. He stands there while I sweat and want to die and just kinda orders me around. Nothing more than that.” 

Darcy gave a disbelieving snort. 

“It’s true! He barely even touches me unless I’m gonna collapse a weight on me or something……but sometimes…..” Amy’s voice dropped to a quiet tone. “Sometimes he smiles when I think I’m gonna die but still turn out a few more reps. He actually smiles a little. Not a big smile…but it still counts. Makes me feel pretty good actually…” Her voice trailed off as she realized she was starting to sound a little dreamy.

“Oh you got it bad, girl!” Darcy squealed devilishly with a light smack on her friend’s shoulder.

Amy opened her mouth to protest it, but realized it was a futile battle. “Ughhh, okay fine!” she threw up her hands in defeat. ”He’s hot as fuck, strong as fuck, and has a body on him that begs for whipped cream to be licked off!” she and Darcy laughed at her admission. Amy’s voice dropped lower again. “But you can also tell he’s, like, a good guy. I don’t know how to describe it. He’s scary as shit…but like the type of scary that makes you feel like you won’t ever get hurt. I don’t know. That’s just how it feels to me….”

Darcy’s smile was wistful. “I know EXACTLY what you are describing…..I feel the same about Steve….”

“Knew it,” Amy grinned. “I may have only been here two weeks but I can pick up on that shit pretty quickly.”

The brunette lab assistant shrugged. “Yeah, well, it’s the truth. But nothing will come of it…..I’m just me, and he’s flippin’ Captain America. A man out of time with all the time in the world but he doesn’t want to make that next step.”

The redheaded Foster nodded to her words. “Yeah, well, I know what you mean. Crushes are great, but it ain’t like we are gonna get lucky with the wonder twins.” Both girls sat in silence for a few moments before Amy jumped up and grabbed a few beers to fridge. “To us!” she announced as she popped the lids from the bottles. “’Cause no matter what guy comes along, we’ll always have each other now. New BFFs here!”

“I can toast to that!” Darcy laughed as the bottles ‘clinked’ together. 

“My apologies Miss Foster and Miss Lewis, but Captain Rogers is requesting your presence on the top floor. Miss Foster, he asks that you change in your mission clothes and bring an overnight bag,” JARVIS announced to the large apartment. 

“Overnight bag?” Amy squeaked. “Mission clothes??”

“Oh my god. It’s happening. You’re actually going on a mission!” Darcy shouted as she slammed her beer on the counter with a thud. 

The younger Foster suddenly felt like she was going to be sick as her brunette friend began packing a bag for her and tossed her some yoga pants (“Put these on. You’ll want to be limber!”). She felt like she was in a daze as the elevator rose to the top floor. This was all happening way too fast. She was just supposed to come here, look at some documents, give her opinion, and leave. Not start falling for ex-evil assassins or go on James Bond secret missions!

Darcy dragged her out of the elevator when Amy refused to walk out on the top floor. She had to shield her eyes from the sun as she realized they were outside with no railings or anything around. In front of her was a medium size aircraft that looked like it could have belonged to any top secret government agency. Amy found herself breaking out in a sweat as her fear of heights set in.

Jane was waiting for her a few feet away with Thor by her side. “Lady Amelia! It is my greatest pleasure to meet you. My Lady Jane and I have come to give our best wishes on your stealth mission,” the large Asgardian boomed as he clapped a heavy hand on Amy’s shoulder. Her knees buckled from the weight. 

“Yeah…well…don’t get killed or anything,” Jane added on softly in a tone that scared the shit outta Amy. This was her first time meeting her sister's boyfriend and this is what they say??? 

The younger sister sputtered out, “Why is everyone acting like I’m going to die? Am I going to die? What the fuck is this??”

She vaguely felt Darcy give her a big hug goodbye. “You aren’t going to die, new BFF. Steve and Bucky won’t let anything happen to you.” 

Amy was still standing frozen in horror as Natasha and Clint filed past her. “Time to board!” Clint announced. “Tell Tony he’s an ass for not coming to our meeting.”

“Gladly!” Thor called back. He turned his bright eyes toward Jane’s sister who was still standing around looking terrified. “Lady Amelia! Don’t breathe too deeply on the jump. Mortals aren’t used to the change in air. ”

“Jump?” Darcy questioned.

“JUMP??” Amy shrieked. “What the fuck did he mean by jump??” 

No one answered her question. Instead Steve gave Darcy a tight-lingered-too-long hug goodbye while Bucky grabbed Amy’s arm to gently pull her on the jet. 

“Did he say jump??” she demanded again as Bucky guided her inside. He began buckling her in the jump seat. 

“Yes,” came a simple reply.

“Well what the fuck does jump mean?” the redhead demanded. Bucky ignored her and pulled a hairband from his pocket to pull her red hair back in a small bun. Amy didn’t even question the gesture as her mind was reeling from the events around her. “Bucky!” she repeated again. “What does it mean??” 

A small smile was threatening to tug at the corner of Sergeant Barnes lips as he took the seat next to her. “It means we are jumping to get to our target.”

The jet began to lift from the ground as Steve sat in the jumpseat from across them. “Miss Foster,” he began gently as if speaking to a child. “We are going to well…uhh…sky dive, if you will, to approach our destination in a covert way so no one knows we are sniffing around.”

“Sky dive?” her words were lost over the roar of the engine. Her entire body began to shake. She reached out for the closest thing next to her which happened to be Bucky’s flesh hand. The Winter Soldier stared at the hand as if he didn’t understand what it was, but did nothing to remove it.


	4. Chapter 4

Amy was taking long, deep breaths as her hands shook against the straps of the jumper seat. She kept pushing down the urge to throw up, but she wasn’t sure how long she could hold it off.

“You okay there, little Foster?” Clint called from the exposed cockpit.

“Never fucking better!” the redhead replied sarcastically in a shaky voice.

A beeping sound filled the airplane. “We are approaching the border,” Natasha said as she flipped some buttons above. “Jump time is t-minus 3 minutes.”

Amy felt her heart in her throat as she followed Steve and Bucky’s lead and unbuckled her seat belt. “This is a dream. This has to be a dream,” she kept repeating to herself. 

Steve looked sympathetic and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He was dressed in his full uniform. “I’m sorry you got roped into this, Miss Foster. But Bucky and I are going to take care of you. Clint and Natasha are our coverage overhead to pick us up as soon as possible. We just need to search the battle site to see if there are any clues and we will be out of there. “

“Tell me again why we couldn’t drive! Why the fuck wasn’t driving an option?!” she demanded as her voice became near hysterical. 

The archer answered her with a laugh. “Can’t leave a trace behind, baby girl. It’s called ghosting in and out. Nobody will know we are on to them.”

“Jump time t-minus 1.5 minutes,” Natasha repeated again with a stern look as if to say ‘get back on track or I’ll kick your ass’. 

A gentle hand on her shoulder broke Amy from her mental freak-out session. She just now noticed Bucky was dressed in his Winter Soldier leather uniform with weapons strapped all over his body. He pulled Amy closer to him. She tried not to swoon as she smelled the aftershave and faint whiff of sweat on him. He whipped out a net looking thing. “Step in,” he ordered as he leaned down and waited for her to place her legs in the loops.

Amy did as he said despite her confusion. He pulled the net up so it fit like a rock climbing harness up between her legs and tightened it at her waist. He pulled a vest around her and tightened it almost painfully snug. “What are you doing?” she finally stammered.

“Bucky is going to jump with you,” Steve answered from her left as he was tightening his own parachute vest.

“I don’t have a big parachute bag on me!” Amy immediately protested as she noticed the Cap’s vest had a large rectangle on it.

“No. But I do,” Bucky grunted from behind her. 

Sure enough, she felt herself getting pulled against him so her ass was up against his pelvis while Bucky hooked up to her from behind so she was in front of him (‘Almost like a papoose’ she thought comically). She was tempted to laugh if she wasn’t so fucking terrified. 

Any other time Amy would have gotten a tight feeling between her legs being so close to him, but she was so terrified that she would rather be anywhere else than his arms. “Breathe,” the Soldier ordered as he tightened up the last of his straps. Amy nodded mindlessly as if she was listening, but truth be told she was ready to pee her pants. 

“Bucky,” Steve called as the door began opening on the plane. “I will meet you down there and set up a perimeter.” With his shield in hand the Captain seamlessly jumped out of the cargo bay.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh my god, why the fuck am I here? I don’t do this shit, I read books, I go to parties, I don’t jump out of fucking airplanes!!” Amy began panicking as a metal arm and flesh arm wrapped tightly around her chest.

“When I say, you are going to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Understand?” the Soldier ordered as they walked closer to the opening.

“Don’t let go. Oh god, please don’t let go,” she whispered, though his super soldier hearing could hear her whimpers. 

“Happy sailing!” Clint said with a wave as he and Natasha exchanged grins. 

The man behind her gave her a tight squeeze. Amy could feel someone nuzzling the top of her head. “I won’t let you get hurt, doll,” Bucky’s voice whispered in her ear. Amy felt her heart leap at his affectionate words. Why the fuck did he have to show interest 10,000 feet in the air?? 

“Take a deep breath… now!”

Amy didn’t hesitate to obey and pushed herself into Bucky as tightly as she possibly could. She felt her feet leave the ground and the air rush around her. Her stomach was daring to come up her throat from the sensation, but the arms tightly around her never released their pressure and kept her grounded. The wind rushed around her face for what felt like minutes, but she felt her stomach lurch as Bucky removed his left hand from her to activate his parachute. They bobbed up and down for a moment and slowly floated to the Earth. The younger Foster vaguely registered standing on solid ground again, but couldn’t find the energy to untangle herself. 

“I just…for a minute longer…let me….”she choked out. She didn’t realize she had started crying until she couldn’t string together a sentence. The adrenaline was making her shake so bad that she could barely stand upright. 

Amy felt another hand on her back. “It’s okay, Amy. It’ll wear off in a couple minutes,” Steve advised.

Bucky gently let go of her arms. She took the hint and untangled her limbs so Steve could unhook all her harnesses from her shaking frame. She wiped her eyes and found Bucky staring at her. “I…oh god…I…” She didn’t manage to finish the sentence before she ran over to a bush to throw up. 

Having a beer before going on a secret mission was a mistake. She was still on her knees and spitting when she felt a hand on her back. Another hand gave her a handkerchief and a breath mint. Amy blinked at that. Talk about being prepared. They let her sit for a few more minutes before the hand on her back wrapped around her waist to pull her upright. 

“We should keep moving,” Steve announced after he packed up the last of the skydiving cables. “We don’t want to linger.”

Amy didn’t respond but instead reached an arm behind her back to push herself into the Winter Soldier as she willed her heart rate to decrease.

“Can you walk?” Bucky asked quietly as Amy reluctantly broke their hug. 

The redhead nodded. “Yeah, I, uh…maybe….think…so,” she sputtered as she tried to regain control of her brain.

“Let’s go then,” Steve smiled kindly as he began to lead the way. 

“Where are we?” Amy blurted out as Bucky softly pushed her in front of him, keeping a hand on her shoulder the whole time, as they followed Steve into a forest.

The Captain laughed softly in front of her. “Oh yeah, it would help if we filled our history buff in. Our first stop today is East Sussex, England.”

“The Battle of Hastings! William, Duke of Normandy versus the Anglo-Saxons!” Amy’s eyes immediately started to sparkle again as she filled in the blanks. A stone structure was starting to take shape in the trees. “That’s Battle Abbey. William the Conqueror built it upon the battle site.” 

“That’s where we are headed,” Captain Rogers nodded. “Stay close.”

Bucky gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze when Amy took a hesitant step forward. She turned around to face the brown eyes behind her (which seemed to be less icy these days….)

“Right here, doll. Not going anywhere,” he repeated softly.

Amy gave him a soft smile and marched forward into the unknown with a new feeling of confidence. She would be okay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Brief mention of violence.

Amy felt her nerves increase as they approached the abbey built upon the old battle site. Holy shit. She was actually doing this…full blown secret agent stuff!! Bucky was steering her through the trees seamlessly as if he knew every step Steve would be taking. Captain Rogers put up his arm to signal the group to stop. Just ahead was the rock wall outlining the abbey. Amy could see through the trees an empty parking lot by the visitor’s centre. Dusk was approaching so it was obvious the museum was closed for the night.

“Oh crap, we should’ve come earlier so we could’ve seen the museum!” Amy whined as her eyes found the welcome banner for the historical site.

A flesh hand clapped over her mouth suddenly from behind. The younger Foster nearly jumped out of her skin before she realized the hand smelled of evergreen soap and belonged to a certain super-duper attractive assassin. 

“Not so loud! Communication needs to be on the mission only,” Steve explained when her wide eyes found his. He nodded to Bucky who slowly dropped his hand. 

Amy turned her head to give the ex-HYDRA agent a dirty look. He looked at her un-apologetically with a raised brow. “Just saying, I don’t go to England every day and would have loved to taken the official tour,” she said in a loud whisper, “So …what’s the plan?” 

Steve pulled out a device from his pocket and turned it on. A blue and white schematic of the area appeared on screen. “There’s a museum storage area here under the exhibition hall in the main building. It appears to go all the way under the abbey ruins. We are going to go down in that area, and I need you to look over any and all documents to see what you can find about the winner of this battle.”

“Search primary resources and artifacts about William the Conqueror. Got it,” Amy nodded as she looked over the map. “Should be pretty simple, right? What are you guys going to be doing while I do that?”

Bucky looked at her like she was stupid. “Covering your ass,” he gruffed as he clicked the safety off the gun in his hand. He shoved it in Amy’s pants before she could even blush at his hand being so close to her lady parts. 

“I don’t want a fucking gun!! My ass is just fine! It’s a museum, not a bad guy man cave,” the woman replied, annoyed with her intelligence being insulted as she wiggled around the uncomfortable sensation of the cold metal in her pants. 

“HYDRA has also been here to do their own research. We can’t be too careful. You need to be armed,” Steve said firmly before an argument started. “Let’s go.”

It took a few steps before Amy could walk comfortably with the gun sticking in her side. Bucky returned his hand to the spot on her shoulder as he guided her along. Steve clipped his shield on his back as he easily scaled the large stone abbey wall. Before Amy could protest her inability to climb like superheroes, Bucky had grabbed her LITERALLY by the seat of her pants and tossed her in the air into the waiting arms of Captain Rogers on top of the wall. Amy was still grumbling to herself as she pulled the large wedgie out of her yoga pants. She swore she could see the Winter Soldier holding back a smile from the corner of her eye. Even Steve snickered. 

Luckily for the group, the Battle of Hastings museum wasn’t a huge tourist destination so the security at the complex was minimal. Steve was able to quickly disarm the alarms. They descended a steep staircase within the renovated ruins where they found the ‘Staff Only’ door. Bucky kicked it in with the heel of his boot, breaking the door at the hinges. 

“You just destroyed original stone wall!!! That’s history!! You can’t do that,” Amy hissed in outrage at the sight of 1,000 year old wall being vandalized. 

“Find the documents,” the Winter Soldier ordered as he turned on the lights in the basement.

The redhead forgot what she was scolding him for when the museum storeroom illuminated underneath. The room was full of thousands of books being stored in glass cases and black foam boxes which (she assumed) were full of original artifacts from the battle. Most museums kept their artifacts downstairs and frequently switched out the exhibits to keep attendance high and the objects preserved. She felt like a kid in a candy store. She pulled on a pair of latex gloves from a nearby container and gave them a snap to make sure they were extra tight.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” she warned to Steve as he walked up to the nearest glass case and looked like he was going to smash it in. She pulled a set of keys from the wall (again, not the highest security protocol in this museum!) and gently opened the case. “These cases are temperature controlled and humidity regulated to preserve the paper. We aren’t destroying any of this,” Amy murmured as she began to get lost in thought at the wealth of information in front of her. 

She faintly registered Bucky and Steve pacing the room and peering into random boxes as she moved case by case and inspected the documents. She set her gun on a nearby bookshelf so she could lean over comfortably to look over the papers. Most were primary sources such as letters from soldiers to families or personal journals. Her heart jumped when she realized the current journal she was reading belonged to William the Conqueror himself! Amy furrowed her brow as she continued reading. William talked about being struck by lightning days before the battle, and overwhelming feeling of power he got from the surge. The redhead pulled her smartphone from her pocket and took a picture of the page. 

“Steve,” she called. “I think I found something here.” 

A creak behind her signaled (what she thought) was his approach. It took her a second for her brain to register that it was the same creaking sound as the broken door entering the basement. Suddenly she was tackled from the side by Bucky as gunfire began to spray all over the room. 

“What the fuck!?” she screamed as Bucky grabbed her by her neck and forced her behind the corner of a tall storage shelf. She gulped at the blackness of his eyes when he pulled a weapon into each hand from his vest. “I left the gun over there!” she answered his questioning glance toward her empty hands. 

She cowered in fear at the look of pure rage he was giving her. Holy shit. The Winter Soldier wouldn't kill her over that....right?? She didn’t have a chance to grovel because he was on the attack next to Steve as a group of black-clad soldiers entered the room. Amy was covering her head and crouching down as the gunfire continued to spray. Left without a weapon she felt helpless. She looked around her for anything that she could us to help join the fight. A black foam box lay on the bottom shelf. She opened it with a prayer and almost laughed at loud at the ironic sight before her. Inside lay old prayer books from the time of the abbey. “Oh shit. Museum gods forgive me,” she mumbled as she picked a few up in her arms. She ducked around the corner of the shelf and began throwing them toward the heads of the goons. 

It was enough to catch the evil soldiers by surprise so Steve and Bucky could deliver a death blow. Amy continued launching the books when she felt a sharp jolt hit her shoulder. She cried out in pain to see a huge gash on her right shoulder. The Winter Soldier whipped his head at her cry and was distracted enough to get a bullet through his own shoulder. His lip curled and he snarled as he lunged toward their attacker. Steve was disarming the last soldier as Amy watched in horror as Bucky dug his knife in the assailant’s throat and cut it open with a spray of blood. 

“Time to go!” Steve ordered as he picked up his shield now that the room was empty. 

Amy continued staring in horror at the dead bodies around her. Suddenly she felt sick. Bucky stormed past her and grabbed her so she lay over his metal shoulder like a ragdoll. Amy twisted around and lifted her head as she watched Captain Rogers run straight through the historic abbey wall so they could make a run for the clearing where they were dropped off. The jet had landed and Clint and Natasha were already on their way out when they spotted the group. 

“What the fuck happened?” Clint asked as Natasha took the controls and got the jet off the ground as quickly as possible. 

Steve took off his face mask. “We must’ve triggered a silent alarm. HYDRA. Small squad. They must’ve been just checking it out. They didn’t know who was there otherwise they would have sent more.”

Clint nodded at the information and was kneeling before Amy. She had a few cuts and bruises, but the most telling injury was the one at her shoulder where a bullet had grazed her. “No no, I’m okay,” she muttered as Clint tried to look her over. “Bucky. Bucky needs help!” she pointed at the ex-HYDRA assassin who was sitting next to her. There was a dark stain of blood on his pants and another at his shoulder. 

Amy literally gagged as she saw Bucky take his metal hand and begin to dig at his wounds to pull out the bullets. His eyes were closed and his teeth clenched but otherwise made no noise. Clint waited until the soldier pulled out the two pellets before offering him two bandages to put pressure on the wounds. “Losing your touch, soldier?” the archer said jokingly to lighten the mood. 

Bucky’s dark eyes found Amy’s. “I got distracted.” He looked livid at the thought. “Put some goddamn pressure on her shoulder before she passes out,” he ordered Clint as he observed Amy’s ashen face. 

Amy turned her head in shame. It was her fault Bucky got shot! She was not cut out for this spy shit. 

Steve smiled gently as Amy winced under Clint’s firm touch. “Don’t worry about us, Amy. We heal quick. But what I need to know…did you find anything while we were there?” 

The redhead nodded as best as she could through the pain. “Yeah,” she breathed out. “I did.”

The Captain nodded. “Good. We’ll go over it later.” With that he walked to the front of the cockpit to sit next to Natasha who had been silently listening to their conversation. 

“I’m sorry I got you shot,” Amy mumbled to the metal-armed man sitting next to her as Clint looked pointedly at the floor with his hand still on her wound. 

Bucky stiffened briefly before tightening a belt around his bleeding leg wound. “Never set down your weapon,” he responded sharply. 

The younger Foster visibly flinched at his hard words. Clint patted her leg reassuringly. “It’s no worries, little Foster. You got the intel. It was your first mission. Mistakes happen.” 

Amy wanted to remind them that she wouldn’t have been much help even with the gun, but resisted the urge to be snarky. Instead she laid back her head against the jump-seat headrest and closed her eyes to forget the sight of a man’s cut throat bleeding out. She would cry later as soon as she got back to her temporary room in Steve and Bucky’s apartment where she could be alone. 

But for now, she would just rest.


	6. Chapter 6

Amy endured Darcy calling her the name of famous dead rappers for a few days after they got back to mock Amy’s bullet wound. It only needed a few stitches, but it hurt like a motherfucker! Only the brunette lab assistant could find the silver lining of the situation by saying Amy was ‘hardcore as shit now!!’

Bucky had managed to avoid Amy completely as soon as they stepped off the plane from their mission. Jane had been relieved that her sister wasn’t hurt, but didn’t understand Amy’s horror and guilt of destroying priceless artifacts. Only Thor tried to absolve her mind of the sin by telling her that she could have died if she had not thrown the church books, and it “twas not her fault if HYDRA destroyed the journals with their devious bullets.” 

Basically Amy wallowed around the apartment for a week. She blamed her sadness on the lost documents and the destruction of important historical objects. Oh, and seeing a guy getting his fucking THROAT cut was pretty bad too. But deep down she knew her gloom was because Bucky had seemingly lost any interest he had in her to begin with. And why shouldn’t he? She was an ordinary chick and he was a superhero…not exactly the recipe for a successful romance. 

The following Friday, Darcy was able to coax Amy away from her maps and research down to the indoor pool in the tower for some uninterrupted girl time. Darcy found the pool was one of the few areas in the tower that was frequently vacant, and just overall relaxing with its tropical décor and atmosphere. 

“So…other than the whole getting shot thing…..was the trip fun?? Any big ‘Bumy’ developments??” Darcy asked from her spot on the lounge chair as Amy finished her in-depth story of the mission. 

Amy looked at her friend as if she sprouted another head. “Bumy?? Seriously? That’s a shitty fucking couple name. And of course there haven’t been any developments! We’ve been back for a week and all Bucky has managed to do is avoid me completely and go back to being a robot. “

“But you said on the plane he called you doll and held you close?? That has to count as something! Believe me, based on Barnes’ behavior, that is practically a declaration of love!” Darcy replied back after taking a sip of her drink. 

The younger Foster shook her head with obvious disappointment. “For a second I thought he was at least a little interested. But you should have seen the way he looked at me when he saw I didn’t have my gun. It was as if I were the dumbest person on the planet. AND he looked 100 times angrier than that after he got shot! You know, shot because of me and my stupidity!” 

“You’re fucking crazy! Don’t you see yourself? You’re hot as balls! Bucky probably has some righteous moral attitude like Steve and was mad that you got hurt. Steve hinted to me that Bucky’s been blaming himself for the whole thing so that’s probably why he has been avoiding you! Seriously. He acts differently around you. I’ve seen him react more to you in the last month than the entire time he’s been here,” Darcy exclaimed as she kicked up her feet. 

“Yeah, but that could just be because he’s been loosening up over time as he's gotten to know everyone,” Amy rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her wine.

Darcy crinkled her face at the suggestion. “No it damn well isn’t! Besides…Steve agrees with me. He thinks Bucky has a crush on you,” the young woman finished her thought with a smug smile.

“Oh Steve does, huh? What have you and the Cap been up to since we’ve been back?” the redhead teased to change the topic. She didn’t need any false hope for an obviously pointless crush. Amy had been throwing herself back into research to avoid Bucky avoiding her and had lost track of how often Darcy and Steve had been together on their own.

Darcy blushed slightly. “No horizontal mambo…yet!! But seriously, he’s as goddamn sweet as apple pie. Being all gentleman-y. Holding doors open…bringing me flowers…asking permission to kiss me. You know, the usual,” Darcy said nonchalantly as Amy squealed.

“He kissed you?!” Amy shouted as she and Darcy broke out in a fit of giggles and cheers that only women who have ever had a secret crush could understand. 

“Yep,” Darcy said proudly. “He took me out to dinner the other night, walked me back to my apartment, and asked if it was okay if he could kinda maybe kiss me. I just about peeled my panties off for him at the same time!!”

A dinging sound echoed next to the younger Foster on the lounge chair from her phone. Amy was still laughing as she listened to Darcy give her a play by play of the kiss when she checked the new text message. Immediately her smile dropped into a frown. “What is it?” Darcy asked.

Amy looked shocked for a moment before letting out an angry huff. “Fucking universe. I can’t get a fucking break. First the mission and now this?? I can’t fucking believe it! That fucking jerkoff!” She leapt to her feet in a renewed feeling of pure rage as she stared at the phone. “I just can’t fucking believe it. He says he has my shit and he is downstairs at Stark Tower. That motherfucker drove all the way to California with his fucking asshole buddies to prove a fucking point. He’s a stupid ass manic!!”

“Calm down!! Who are you talking about?” Darcy grabbed her new friend by the shoulders to steady her.

The redhead took a deep breath. “My ex-boyfriend. Dean. I haven’t been taking his calls. We’ve been broken up a while now. He’s the one whose truck got kissed by my baseball bat. Apparently his insurance took forever to process his claim and decided they won’t cover the damage after all so now I’m back on his radar. He's been leaving me tons of voicemails demanding I pay it. I told him to go suck a dick! He had the affair so he can deal with the consequences!” Darcy nodded. Amy had somewhat filled her in on the bullshit with her last boyfriend, and how he just didn't compare to her current crush wrapped up in the pretty package of Sergeant Barnes.

Amy looked at the phone again. “He says he has my shit. But I don’t know what shit he could possibly be talking about! I took everything when I moved out. Why the fuck would he come from California to give me shit that isn’t mine??” 

“Dude, how could he even know where you are??” Darcy demanded as she began rolling up her beach towel.

The younger Foster was pulling on her tennis shoes. “Yeah well, we have mutual friends. And I have a big fucking mouth, okay! Someone must've told him. Just never thought he would show up.”

“We should call security. They would get rid of those pricks!”

Amy nodded as she jammed the elevator call button angrily. “Yeah, but let me first see what shit of mine he thinks he has! The joke will be on him if it isn’t mine!” 

“Deal,” Darcy agreed. 

Amy cast a glance over her shoulder at Darcy as the elevator traveled down. “I'm gonna go out and meet him alone first. Stay out of sight. I don’t want to make this a big scene. That’s just what he wants. He likes to humiliate me in front of others.” The redhead practically spat these last words as she watched the numbers get smaller on the elevator dial. 

“I will stay back, but I make no promises if he pulls something!” Darcy swore as they stepped out of the elevator into the lobby. 

A large blue Dodge truck had pulled up to the curb in front of Stark Tower in the fire lane with the truck bed full of boxes. Darcy watched as Amy scrambled outside with her mouth running off at a mile a minute. Four men exited the dirty vehicle. One walked straight up to Amy and taunted something in her face. At the same time the other three men began throwing cardboard boxes off the side of the truck. Not just throwing, but literally tossing them on the sidewalk as hard as they could. 

The brunette could tell immediately something was wrong when Amy started yelling. The man who jeered at her now had his arms wrapped around her to stop her from interfering. Amy was trying to fight back as best as she could but couldn’t break free from his hold. 

As Darcy ran toward the scene she dialed the first person she thought of. “Hey Darce,” Steve’s voice answered sweetly from the other side.

“Come down to the street entrance. Amy’s ex is here,” Darcy yelled in the phone before hanging up. “Fucking security people,” she called to the seemingly empty lobby. “We have a situation!!” 

By the time Darcy got outside Amy had put her new fighting skills to work and used her butt to ram the guy into the side of the truck. She was struck by one of the thrown boxes and ended up with a large cut on her face. It was then Darcy noticed that the sidewalk was full of glass and most of the boxes had opened up with large shards of glass sticking out of them. 

The man who had been rammed in the truck recovered quickly. “Fuck you, you stupid cunt!! I bet you regret fucking with my truck now!” a blond man, presumably Dean, snarled as he lunged toward Amy again. The petite woman had nothing on the burly man who knocked her to the ground with one shove of his beefy army. 

So many things happened at once that Darcy’s head spun to keep track. A flash of a white shirt and black jeans passed in front of her and suddenly Dean had a metal arm around his throat and was thrown through the front windshield of the car. Steve was on his heels and wrapped his arms around a wild-looking Winter Soldier who was seriously out for some blood with the asshole ex. The friends were putting their hands up in innocence and trying to back away from a menacing looking Thor who appeared unexpectedly with Mew-Mew in hand. Pepper was at the doorway directing muscular security guards to clean up the chaos. 

“How the fuck did all these people show up??” Darcy wondered aloud.

Pepper gave her a sideways glance. "Not much happens in or around this tower without me knowing," the head-bosswoman explained. 

Darcy nodded at the explanation and diverted her attention back to her friend. Amy was crying on the sidewalk as she tried to delicately pick up the pitiful excuses of cardboard boxes all around her. “Amy!” Jane cried as she ran from the building and grabbed her sister in a hug. Darcy had a sudden urge to go ‘Awww’ at the show of sisterly affection from two individuals who were usually at each others throats. But this was neither the time nor the place. 

Amy allowed her sister to help her from the ground and snarled as she lunged forward toward her ex. This time it was a security guard who stopped from her from getting back into the fray. 

“Get back inside!” Steve ordered angrily to the girls as he was still trying to prevent Bucky from beating the shit out of the man moaning on top of the truck. 

Jane said something in her sister’s ear and gestured to a grudging Amy to pick up a box and follow her back inside. Darcy grabbed another box and left the mess outside as she followed the sisters to the elevator.

“…it’s not worth it! He’s getting his ass handed to him by superheroes. You’ll only get in the way! Thor and Steve will grab the other boxes. Don’t worry,” Jane consoled her sister as the tears continued to pour down the younger Foster’s cheeks. 

“I…just…can’t…believe him. He…these…..I…” Amy couldn’t sputter a coherent sentence as she shook her head in pure rage and grief, the silver background of the elevator reflecting the shine of tears on her face. 

Darcy led the way to Amy’s temporary home with Steve and Bucky and grabbed Amy’s keys from her pocket to unlock the door. The trio gently set down the boxes in the middle of the living room. Jane grabbed a nearby dishtowel to blot the large cut on Amy's face. It had already stopped bleeding and wasn’t as deep as she originally thought.

“Jesus!” Darcy finally exhaled as they sat down. “What was that all about? What was in those boxes?”

It took a few seconds for Amy to catch her breath and calm herself down. “They were from my storage closet. Dean said I left a key behind when I left him. I didn’t know…I would never….”she answered and yet found herself unable to finish her thought.

Her sister stiffened at the sentence. “Oh my god. Your storage closet? That had Dad’s stuff!” Jane stammered as she grabbed a pair of scissors from the kitchen counter to fully prop open the top of one of the boxes. The scientist froze. “Dad’s ships,” she whispered as she stared at the contents inside.

Darcy peered over the ledge of the box to see a mess of broken glass and (what used to be) carefully crafted ships in a bottle. Amy was looking crestfallen as she picked up a shard of one of the bottles. 

“Why would you have given him a key in the first place??” Jane burst out in an angry rush with a scathing look to her sister. 

“I didn’t…I didn’t know I left a key behind. I just…I never…... Not to Dad’s stuff. I…I don’t know…” Amy stuttered as she continued staring at the shard.

Tears were beginning to pool in Jane’s eyes. Her stupid sister. Amy was entrusted with the precious items that remained of their father’s life since Jane moved around too much with her science projects and their mum had remarried. What a mistake that was! Her sister let the only memories they had of their father get destroyed. Jane couldn’t even look at her sister right now. She was barely concealing the rage manifesting with her shaking hands. 

A creak at the door revealed an angry looking Thor, exasperated Captain, and scowling Sergeant Barnes with broken boxes in tow. One look at Thor was enough for Jane to leap up from her seated position.

“I need to get out of here. I can’t talk right now,” Jane announced to the room as she scurried from the apartment. The Asgardian looked at Darcy and Amy with a confused expression before setting down his box and following Jane’s path out of the apartment. 

There was a few moments of awkward silence before Steve cleared his throat. “I called Thor and Jane after Darcy called me,” Steve explained as he took a few hesitant steps to the kneeling women on the floor. Bucky followed him and kneeled down across from Amy. 

Her green eyes were cloudy and lifeless as she lifted her head to face them. “They were my dad’s…..he’s dead,” she explained in a small voice.

“Her fucking asshole ex-boyfriend found the key to her storage closet in their old place, knew it had her dead dad’s belongings, and came here to trash them as revenge for his truck,” Darcy explained in a bitter tone.

Bucky’s lips tightened but he didn’t say anything. Instead he gently grabbed her hands where shards of glass were embedded in her bleeding palms. He lifted his gaze toward her face where her eyes were downcast and her lip was slightly quivering. His metal finger traced the gash across her cheek. 

“He hit you.” It wasn’t a question.

Amy shook her head and swallowed hard. “I got cut by a thrown box. He just kinda shoved me.”

“He should die for that.” The statement sent a shiver down Darcy’s spine at the menacing way it was delivered. The Winter Soldier did not make threats lightly.

“Bucky….” Steve said warningly. “He was arrested on sight. He is in the hands of the law now. What we should do is take Amy down to medical to get checked.”

Before Amy could protest, the Winter Soldier had already huffed, “I can take care of her myself, punk. Get the first aid kit.”

Steve exchanged a surprised look with Darcy before disappearing down the hallway. Amy was shaking her head. “No, I’m fine. I don’t need anything.” She didn’t need his pity help. He already took bullets for her. He didn’t need to clean out the wounds that were a result of her own stupidity. 

“Like hell,” Bucky answered back as he ripped the kit out of Steve’s hands after the Captain reappeared. 

Amy felt herself getting angry. “I told you no, goddammit!! You don’t need to take a bullet for me or give me a fucking band-aid!…..I’m not…. I’m not worth it!” her voice trailed off as her words became small, so dejected, that Darcy reached to her friend for reassureance, but Sergeant Barnes beat her to it.

He grabbed Amy’s chin with his metal hand and forced her eyes to look at him. “You are worth everything,” he said simply. He kept her gaze for only a few moments before he returned to pulling out shards of glass from her hands with tweezers. 

Amy blushed and quickly diverted her eyes back to the pile of glass. “Yeah…well…so are you,” she responded lamely. The tweezers paused their work for a brief moment as her words sunk in before Bucky continued cleaning up the wounds. 

It wasn’t long before her hands were bandaged up and her cheek cleaned. Years of practice made Bucky a quick and adept medic. Amy found herself sitting awkwardly next to Bucky as she stared at the boxes in front of her. Steve and Darcy had gotten the rest of the boxes from the security team while Bucky was cleaning Amy up. Some of the boxes had her old CDs, highschool yearbooks, and her dad’s old polo shirts and books. Amy’s ex had taken paint cans and poured it over everything. Darcy could literally feel her friend’s heart breaking in front of her as Amy fingered one of her father's ruined shirts. Apparently Bucky could too. He hadn’t yet let go of the hand he just bandaged. 

“Amy?” Steve asked hesitantly when the redhead hadn’t spoken for a while. 

She turned her head to find Steve. “Do you have any glue?” 

It was such an odd question. “He does!” Darcy announced with a light bulb moment as she jumped up to search the kitchen drawer. “I had to use it one time to fix my heel. Here, try this!” she tossed the tiny tube to her friend. 

“Amy,” Steve said gently as he followed her train of thought as he peered at the broken mess of glass in the second box. “Darcy and I will take the rest of this stuff to get it cleaned up downstairs…but the ships….well, these might be well past repair. Some of the fragments are so small…..” his voice trailed off as Bucky shot him a dirty look. 

The Winter Soldier grabbed the tube of super glue from a crestfallen Amy. “Hold this,” he ordered to the redhead as he handed her the bottom of a ship. He grabbed the matching piece to complete the other side and gently squeezed out a row of glue. He pushed hard as he glued both sides together. His hand began searching for the next piece in the box.

Amy made a small sound in her throat as her eyes brimmed with tears once again. “Thank you,” she breathed as the Soldier froze. He gave a brisk nod and continued working. Darcy and Steve exchanged a knowing look, gathered the other boxes for washing and cleaning, and promised to be back later.

It was late----at least 11:30pm----when Amy got a text message from Darcy saying she and Steve would be back in the morning and everything was in the process of being cleaned as she typed her message. They must have gone back to Darcy’s floor. The redhead wanted to text her and tease her friend on the obvious romp in the sack, but exhaustion was starting to set in. 

“You should sleep,” a strong voice ordered softly from across her on the carpet as she yawned.

“There’s still a lot to clean,” Amy replied as she gestured to the piles of glass and ship pieces. It was like trying to put together a 1,000 piece puzzle. It felt hopeless! 

“Close your eyes. I’ll keep working,” the Winter Soldier replied. Amy wanted to laugh as she took in the deadly assassin sitting cross-legged on the carpet with glue in his hand. His long brown hair was spilling in his face as he stared at the fragments in his hand with the same determination as a sniper. She would have laughed if she wasn’t so close to crying. 

“I’ll rest soon,” Amy promised. She caught a glimpse of a thin layer of chest hair from his button down shirt as he leaned forward to grab another piece of glass. “Does it hurt…you know…where you got shot?” 

Bucky’s dark eyes found hers. “No. It heals quickly.”

That piqued Amy’s curiosity. She licked her lips nervously. “Can I see?”

Bucky stopped gluing and stared at her a moment before nodding slowly. He set down the part of the ship he had been working on and pulled his shirt to the side. Amy leaned forward and gently traced the outline of where the bullet had entered. Sure enough, the skin was already shiny and re-growing. 

Bucky hissed softly as her hand lingered too long. He gently pulled it off of him. “I can’t…too much right now,” he explained at her hurt glance. 

She nodded with a wistful smile. “Maybe someday it won’t be too much,” she whispered softly. The air felt electric between them. Amy tried to chuckle to break the tension. “Well, it is getting late. Maybe I will just take a short break,” she mumbled as she stretched out to lay on her stomach on the floor.

Bucky tightened his lips at her position but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure when she shut her eyes, but it was some time later when she rolled over and found herself on the plush surface of the couch with a blanket on top. She moaned as she sat up. In front of her Bucky was still quietly at work, but somehow in the time she slept he put together---not one---but TWO of the ships. TWO ships in a bottle that were previously in jagged fragments. 

“How?” Amy gasped as she stared at the floor.

The Winter Soldier shrugged. He knew she was awake behind him already. “I have good eyes.” 

For the first time in her life the redhead was speechless. There was no witty comment or curse word or quote to stutter. She continued staring at Bucky as if he were a rainbow leprechaun. “I don’t….I don’t understand. I….no one has ever done anything like this for me,” she finally got out. “I….wow…..I mean….thank you.” The words were so sincere, so heartfelt that she felt them burning in her chest. 

Again, Bucky brushed off the compliment by simply nodding. The younger Foster stared at the soldier and realized how much she was falling for him. There was no comparing the man in front of her with the man who did so much damage to her precious belongings. For a man who was so righteous and kind, he certainly did not think highly of himself. Amy tried to muster the courage to do what she craved so desperately. She got on her knees and pushed the cardboard box out of her way so nothing was in between them. She slowly stretched out her hand to trace his shoulder. He didn’t move away. Instead he dipped his head down in a submissive gesture, as though he was desperately aching to be touch. 

“Is this too much?” she asked meekly as she gathered him in a tight hug. Her face was buried against his neck where she smelled faint evergreen soap and coffee. Hands began to travel down her sides. It wasn’t in an overly sexual way…just the desperation of a man who wanted to know what a woman felt like again. Amy’s neck tilted back involuntarily at his movements.

Bucky didn’t answer her question. She lifted her head to find him staring at her. A ghost of a grin was on his face. “Is this too much?” he repeated before he leaned down and placed soft lips against hers. 

When Amy daydreamed about kissing Bucky Barnes these past few weeks, she imagined he would be rough and biting and dominating. As much as she didn’t mind that idea, she definitely did not mind the soft way he was treating her now…as if he was showing her he could be safe and gentle while she was in a fragile state. 

Amy was gasping for air by the time their kiss broke. She felt a blush radiating off of her from head to toe. She wove her fingers through his long hair. He wordlessly shook his head, indicating he was reaching his limit. Amy tried not to be disappointed as he pulled himself away from her. 

“You need to rest,” he ordered softly as he guided her toward the couch. 

“I will if you lay with me,” Amy replied quietly. 

The Winter Soldier didn’t respond, but he did sit awkwardly on the couch next to her like a middle schooler on a first date. Amy laid down on her side to allow him to scoot behind her. He instinctively reached around her to drape his flesh arm around her and froze after he did it as though he just now realized where his arm was. Amy pulled his arm closer to her and brushed his fingers against hers. She hadn’t been this close to him since a week ago when they jumped out of an airplane. She couldn’t help but sigh at the overwhelming feeling of comfort his arms gave her. Amy vaguely felt his forehead press against the back of her head as his rigid body began to relax against her. For the first time in a long time, Bucky fell into a dreamless sleep. 

That was how Darcy and Steve found them the next morning. Amy was facing Bucky with her head tucked underneath his arm and her eyes still closed in slumber. The Winter Soldier’s eyes were closed, but he was stroking her head delicately as if she were the most breakable thing he ever held. Nothing in the world, not even Steve and Darcy, would break his concentration from her.

“Oh shit,” Darcy breathed out with a grin. “Bumy has made their debut.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My attempt at smut. Rated explicit to cover alllll the dirty details!

Amy woke up alone. Her body instantly missed the arms that had been wrapped around her. Bucky was nowhere to be seen. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that. She should have figured that Bucky wasn’t exactly the type to linger. 

Sergeant Barnes hadn’t asked Amy to go back to the gym to train since they got back from the disastrous mission in England. Thankful for the break, but wanting to move her body, the younger Foster decided to grab her yoga mat. The apartment was empty, as expected. She didn't know that Darcy and Steve had already come by earlier in the morning. Her friend left to go to work while she slept. She assumed Bucky was out running since he had been joining Steve and his friend (Sam was it?) for running in the morning the past week. That meant she had a few hours to herself. The light pooled in the spacious living room from the outside. Amy took a deep breath as she laid out her bright green mat. She set her iPod down on the kitchen counter and put the speaker on full volume to play relaxing music. 

She pushed her loose bangs out of her face and she willed herself to relax. ‘Forget about the dead guys with cut throats, forget about asshole cheating exes, forget about the hot super soldiers and their fucking amazing kisses and your sexual frustration’ she repeated to herself in her mind over and over. It wasn’t long before she was able to relax into her poses as she got lost in the soothing melody. 

She vaguely heard the apartment door open and shut as she breathed deeply in and out. She was on her back balancing on a yoga block with her legs bent underneath her to stretch out her quads. She was about the open her eyes to see who was home when she felt a hesitant hand begin to trail along her side.

Bucky had come back alone from running while the others went to breakfast, feeling the anxious need to check in on Amy to make sure she was doing okay. Instead he found her scantily clad in her yoga shorts and short top, practically offering herself up as she leaned back in a stretch. His self-control was not strong enough. Pulling away from her last night when he desperately wanted to be buried inside her was bad enough. He could not resist touching her today. 

A soft groan from her seemed to give the assassin confidence as she felt one cold hand and a much warmer one trace her sides up and down. Unlike last night, the stroking felt heated and more forceful, a new sense of urgency being communicated to her. With her eyes still closed, she felt the yoga brick getting removed from under her back as her legs were spread on either side of Bucky’s hips.

Her hands reached out to touch him. His hard chest was almost shaking against her palms as he let out a deep breath. Lips were on top of hers and Amy pushed her pelvis against his hard erection. Now her eyes were open as the fire of desire burned within her. She never needed someone so badly. 

“Please,” she begged as he was kissing down her neck to her breasts.

His hands traveled down her sides once more before finally settling on her ass. He picked her up effortlessly with her legs wrapped around his waist as he began the slow walk to his bedroom. She moaned as she tried to grind deeper into the hard length that was situated exactly where she wanted it and yet not inside her. Bucky set her down on the bed before ripping his shirt off. His pupils were dilated so much that his eyes looked black. Amy followed suit and pulled the tank top over her head to expose her red polka dot sports bra. They were kissing again, this time more fervently when Bucky reached underneath her to unclasp her bra. His head dipped down and trailed a row of kisses before he buried his face between her breasts to rub his head for a moment as she arched underneath him. 

“Bucky, “she gasped as his hands trailed down further. She felt her yoga shorts begin to get peeled off leaving her hairless pussy naked and exposed. She moaned when his mouth found hers again the same time his fingers discovered just how wet she was for him. 

His lips continued their voyage downward until they replaced his fingers in her pussy. She flinched at the sensation of his tongue swirling her clit and sucking on the nub. Amy was squirming around so much that he grabbed her legs and lifted her pelvis off the bed so he had better access to her. It wasn’t long before Amy found the tightness threatening to uncoil itself. Bucky could feel her clenching beneath him and became more forceful with his mouth. The younger Foster cried out as she felt her orgasm release against his lips. He sucked up every sensation before he set down her shaking legs. 

“Good girl,” he whispered huskily with a smirk on his face. 

Amy glared at him with lustful eyes before pulling him back on top of her into a dirty kiss so she could taste herself on his lips. 

“I need you. Please, Bucky. I need you now. I’m on the pill. Just….for the love of god….please fuck me!” she groaned in the kiss as she began to pull down his sweat pants to release the painfully hard cock that had been pressing against her. 

Her mouth dove for his groin as soon as his pants were off him, but the Winter Soldier caught her halfway. “Some other time, sweetheart,” he growled. “I need you now.” His metal arm wrapped around her waist and forced her on his knees in front of him. Amy squealed in delight. What had started out so gentle and sweet was starting to pick up momentum as they both got lost in their thirst for each other. 

The bedspread bunched underneath her fingers as she clung to the sheets when he plunged inside her. She moaned and allowed him to circle his hips behind her as she adjusted to the sheer size of him. Encouraged by her moan, he began to move a little more but still at a slow and steady rhythm. Amy was pushing back against him to meet every thrust as she cried out and groaned at the sensations. She was so close to the edge. Her hand reached down between her legs to rub her clit. 

Apparently Bucky found the idea insulting because he pulled out of her abruptly. She whined at the loss inside her, but found herself getting flipped over onto her back. The Winter Soldier’s normally neutral expression was now snarling with hunger. A rough kiss left her lips swollen as he pushed her knees apart to spread her legs wide for him. Within a second he was deep inside her, not giving her the opportunity to get used to the size of him again. 

His metal hand held both her hands over head as his flesh hand balanced himself over her. Every thrust into her was rubbing something inside her. She was whimpering as she squirmed underneath his touch as she felt something big begin to build up in her pussy.

“Oh fuck,” she cried out as Bucky allowed her hands to wrap around his shoulders. He had changed position so her knees were now in the crook of his elbows, allowing him to go even deeper.

One twist of his hip coupled with a hard thrust was enough for Amy to seize up and scream in his shoulder as she came. This wasn’t just a regular “oh that felt good” orgasm either. This was the kind romance novelists talked about where she literally saw stars and her toes curled as her pussy clenched around his cock. Bucky couldn’t hold out longer when he felt her come apart around him. He pushed into her forcefully as he came and felt his toes digging in the bedspread. Amy felt his warmth spill inside her as she rode out the sensations inside her. 

Bucky continued to lay on top of her, still inside her, as they lay panting. The Winter Soldier reluctantly pulled out from the redhead and collapsed next to her on the bed. They stayed like that for a few minutes in total silence. 

“Y’know…” Amy began awkwardly as she looked around the barren gray colored room (because she could never let silence just happen). “Your room is kinda plain. You should’ve told me. I could’ve helped you decorate.” 

A smile began to inch across Bucky’s face. “No time to decorate. Gotta workout, run missions….save some dames who set down their weapons.”

Now it was Amy’s turn to roll her eyes and lightly hit him. “Yeah about that working out thing….. I think I might be too sore to work out tomorrow. I think I deserve a break from the gym while a while.”

“You should while your shoulder is still healing,” he responded in his low voice. 

A wicked thought crossed Amy’s mind. “My shoulder might need some extra attention. Maybe a massage….or a kiss?”

“That so?” Bucky rumbled as he turned his head to find sparkling green eyes smiling at him. He couldn’t help but return the grin. “I might know someone who could help with that.” He sat up and gave a soft kiss on her stitched shoulder. As he pulled back he frowned and traced the gash on her cheek.

She reached out and placed a hand on his chest. “I’m okay,” she assured him earnestly. “I….it’s been a long time since I’ve actually felt safe with someone like I do with you...”

“I’m not safe,” Bucky corrected immediately at her confession in a serious tone.

Amy couldn’t help but smirk. Damn right he wasn’t. The same hand that cut a throat also finger-fucked her for a while. “No you’re not,” she admitted after a moment. “But you’re safe with me. And I’m tired of feeling unsafe….” She sighed the last part of this sentence. Her tone made a fire ignite in Bucky’s chest at the abuse she had suffered under others. 

He pulled her tighter to him to place a kiss on her already swollen lips. Being with her felt so natural…..so right. “I’ll look after you, doll,” he mumbled against her hair.

“You already have been,” she smiled shyly as she ran her fingers through his hair. She wrapped one leg around his waist as she cuddled him from the side. His metal hand was low on her back drawing circles with his thumb, right above where the blanket was barely covering her ass. 

A buzzing sound echoed on the dresser. It was Bucky’s phone. Amy arched her brow at him. “Nothing in the world could make me get up right now,” Bucky answered her questioning glance.

After a couple more missed buzzing calls, Amy heard her phone faintly begin to ring from the living room where she had last left it with her yoga music on. 

“It might be important,” she murmured as she tried to sit up. 

Strong arms forced her back down on top of him. “Nope. Jarvis would let us know. Let them wait,” a husky voice replied. 

It was only a few short minutes later when Bucky heard the door to the apartment open. “Bucky?” Steve’s voice called. 

“Dude, are you okay?” another male voice asked. 

“I think your bro misses you,” Amy teased in his ear as she tried again to sit up but was wrapped tighter in Bucky’s arms instead. 

The Winter Soldier almost wanted to roll his eyes at the frantic tone in Steve’s voice. The punk was always looking for someone to rescue. He heard the thundering footsteps come down the hallway toward his closed bedroom door. The assassin furrowed his brow. Steve wouldn’t-----

The door getting kicked open answered his questioning thought. Amy screamed and frantically grabbed at the sheet to cover her exposed breasts. Steve stood at the door with a gaping mouth with Sam by his side as he tried to absorb the scene. The black man standing next to him had his eyebrows raised so high they were disappearing in his hairline. 

“Get the fuck out, punk!” Bucky snarled as he pushed Amy against him to cover her naked body. 

“Holy shit!” Steve exclaimed before blinking rapidly as if trying to erase the image. "I just wanted, uh, to make sure you were okay.... you didn't pick up your phone or come back down to breakfast which isn't like you!" he offered in a quick explanation as his face turned bright pink. 

“Uh…sorry about that! We'll leave you two alone,” Sam laughed as he grabbed a shocked Steve by the collar to pull him out of the room before the door closed behind them (as best as it could with its now-broken hinges). Sam's laughter echoed down the hallway as the door to the apartment quickly opened and shut. 

Amy groaned in Bucky’s shoulder before bursting into laughter at what just transpired. Captain America had just seen her in a post-coital embrace with the Winter Soldier. Who would’ve thought??? Even more shocking, Sergeant Barnes was actually chuckling a little with her. 

“Oh my god. Steve Rogers just saw my boobs,” she stammered between laughs. 

“First and last time,” Bucky rumbled back. 

He pushed her hair from her blushing face and placed another wet kiss on her lips. Her stomach gurgled between them, making Amy’s face turn a brighter red. “I guess I’m also kinda hungry…..got any breakfast around here, soldier?”

“I s’pose so if a dame has to eat.” 

The younger Foster smiled. “Well, this girl does have to eat. And we better get dressed before Steve comes barging in again.”

The thought made Bucky reluctantly roll out of bed and follow her in the bathroom as she started the shower. And if any funny business started while they were cleaning up…well, that would be okay too.


	8. Chapter 8

Amy Foster lowered the lid on the waffle iron machine and turned her back to the living room to try to stop the dorky smile that kept inching on her face. She needed a reality check. She barely knew Bucky Barnes. Why was she sending him goo-goo eyes every time she saw him?! She had only been around a month. He was an ex-HYDRA agent. She was just a lame museum assistant curator. None of this was the recipe for a long-last relationship. Just a one night stand.

She stole a glance at the soldier who was sitting on the couch as he continued to repair her broken ships. She quickly looked away when his dark eyes locked with hers. His gaze was practically smoldering. She busied herself with dishes at the sink to resist the overwhelming urge to squeal in excitement. Oh fuck it!!!! There was no way her mind was talking her out of this momentous occasion. She fucked the Winter Soldier! Like, THE Winter Soldier. James Buchanan Barnes, the (now) living legend of Howling Commandos fame. The original badass assassin. Every inch of him had been touched by her lowly mortal hands. His muscular legs had held her weight against the shower wall as he pounded into her. His lips that rarely spoke had whispered reverently in her ear of her beauty and his desire for her. Oh, and Captain-freaking-America saw her post-coitus embrace with his best friend. And he saw her boobs. So yeah, she was gonna allow herself this excitement! 

The younger Foster’s phone vibrated on the kitchen counter. She picked it up to check the text message.

_Darcy Lewis: Heard you got yourself some robocock!!!! Sam and Steve are both happy and traumatized. Hiding now in the lab with me._

Amy laughed and typed her message back. 

_I have no shame. Best sex ever. All downhill from here. I will be ruined for all other men._

_Darcy Lewis: We are both in that wagon together…..I definitely had Captain America’s tongue in my pussy last night_

Amy didn’t realize Bucky had snuck up behind her until she turned around and ran into his solid chest mid-giggle. He arched a brow at her and smirked at her phone, obviously seeing the conversation. The redhead typed her response back to Darcy as she gave an unabashed shrug to her new lover.

_Steven Rogers ate you out?! Pics or it didn’t happen!_

“No pictures for them, doll. I don’t like sharing,” he rumbled in her ear as arms wrapped around her from behind. “And there will be no other men.”

Her heart leaped at the jealously and finality of his voice. Screw feminism….if this guy wanted to own her and keep her as his, she was on board! His tone was already making her panties wet again. But her stomach gurgled loudly and very unladylike just as she was ready to put the moves on him again. Fucking betrayed by her body! Bucky smiled and unraveled his arms around her waist. He pulled the finished waffle from the waffle iron. “Eat up,” he ordered, “I want you strong and rested.”

“Why? We have big plans in the afternoon?” Amy asked sarcastically as she grabbed a plate. Sergeant Barnes didn’t need to answer. The absolute predatory look he was giving her was answer enough. His darkened pupils slowly trailed from her chest down to crouch and back up again to her face. The Winter Soldier’s head cocked slightly to the side as if saying ‘if you want’.

Oh she wanted. Wanted fucking big time! 

She sent one last text to Darcy as she took her plate to the table to wolf down a waffle as fast as she could. 

_Bucky is looking at me like he wants to eat me. And I’m totally okay with that. It would be a good way to go._

_Darcy Lewis: Death by orgasm. If only we could all be so lucky._

********* ***************

Steve and Sam had returned to the apartment later in the afternoon with Darcy in tow. All three had their hands over their eyes. “Is the coast clear, Buck? Or should we give you guys another night alone?” Steve asked in a gently mocking voice while Darcy snickered. 

Bucky threw a book at Steve from his spot on the couch that the Cap still caught easily. Sam shook Amy’s hand as the redhead blushed at their awkward introduction. But the man known as the Falcon was super easy going about it and instead seemed thrilled that Bucky had found himself a nice little lady. 

“So, spent the whole day fucking?” Darcy asked as she pulled a chair out from the table where Amy was looking over a document made of papyrus. 

Steve choked on the water he just pulled from the fridge while Sam began to roar in laughter at the lab assistant’s comment. 

“Maybe. What were you and Stevie up to last night?” a low voice replied from his spot on the floor where he was finishing up the last of the broken ships in the bottle. 

Darcy whipped her head around with a huge smile to face a smirking Winter Soldier. “Excellent question, Sergeant! We too were fucking.”

Amy joined Sam by burying her face in her hands as she squealed with laughter. Steve was turning a deeper shade of red as his friend shook his head with a grin toward the floor. 

“Jesus, Bucky. Don’t encourage them!” Steve finally stammered with a sheepish grin as he wrapped an arm around a giggling Darcy. Despite his embarrassment, he was feeling an overwhelming sense of pride burn in his chest to watch his friend come out of his shell. He was finally getting the boy from Brooklyn back. 

Bucky shrugged, but tried unsuccessfully to hide the smile that continued to grow wider on his face. 

“Well, heads up all you birds in the love nest. Someone has been telling rumors to Stark, and he told me he is stopping by later today to catch you all in the act as he offers support for something he calls ship-gate I guess,” Sam warned as he pushed up from his lean on the kitchen counter. “And while I really came here for an excuse to see you with your clothes on, I also am here to get an update on your research. Steve told me about your little mishap in England,” Falcon gestured to Amy’s stitched shoulder. Bucky’s eyes seemed to darken at the thought. “I am going to scout your next location and make sure things are looking safe before you go on anymore field missions,” the new hero explained. 

Amy pouted at the idea that she would need any extra help, but she bit her tongue before her usual snark cut loose from her mouth. As much as she hated it, Sam had a point. She did get sort-kinda-shot on their last trip! 

“Yeah, that makes sense,” she conceded with a sigh. “I think our next destination needs to be Egypt. Both Alexander the Great and Ramses the II were known for their battle conquests and some sort of supernatural ability. Checking out the ancient capital of Thebes would be a good place to start.” 

“I can do that. I know how to walk like an Egyptian,” Sam danced a little with a sweet laugh. Steve rolled his eyes at his friend’s charm. 

The Captain shot a hesitant look toward Bucky as Sam pulled his car keys from his pocket which was the universal signal that the Falcon would be leaving soon. 

“Bucky,” Steve began, “Will you and Darce walk Sam down to the lab to get Sam hooked up with some gear before his trip? I want to go over some other research details with Amy in private.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes at his friend in suspicion and didn’t move from where he was standing next to the younger Foster. His protectiveness made Sam begin to laugh as he shook his head in disbelief. “Ohhh lookout, Steve. He’s got it bad!” 

Steve rolled his eyes. “It’s me, Bucky. I’m not putting the moves on your girl. It’ll just take five minutes and you’ll be back up. I want to get this stuff figured out before Sam leaves.” 

Darcy had a knowing grin on her face and oddly did not protest to being kicked out either. Obviously she knew exactly what the Cap wanted to talk about. “C’mon Barnes. I’ll show you where Steve and I did it last night!” 

The Winter Soldier curled his lip at the thought, but didn’t move an inch until Amy gave him a reassuring nod. His fingers brushed against hers as he walked past her to lead the trio out of the room. Captain America waited until the door to the apartment closed before he let out a small sigh. 

“Amy,” he began gently in his righteous voice, “I wanted….well, what I really wanted to do was talk to you about Bucky.” 

The younger Foster had found her way back to the table of maps and scrolls intending to update Steve on her latest find. His words made her chest tighten uncomfortably. “What about Bucky?” she replied while attempting to keep her voice calm and casual despite her heart rate beginning to accelerate. 

Captain Rogers took a seat at the table. Amy mirrored his movement. “I just want to make sure your intentions with Bucky…..are….well, sincere.” 

The redhead furrowed her brow as she tried to digest his words. “Sincere,” she repeated to herself as if the meaning was foreign to her. Realization dawned on her all at once. “Holy shit, you’re giving me the shovel talk!”

“Shovel talk?” Now it was Steve’s turn to be confused. 

“Yeah, the talk where you are going to tell me that you are going to hurt me or kill me if I emotionally deceive or damage your friend!” 

“Well…not, er, exactly, but close…” Captain America blushed slightly. “It’s just…Bucky has had a rough life and has come a long way from being brainwashed…but he is still healing and vulnerable. I just don’t want him to get too invested or hurt.” 

Amy couldn’t help but smile sadly. It figures Steve wouldn’t approve of her relationship with Bucky…..Sergeant Barnes was an American hero and she was an average girl with a mouth like a sailor. “Message heard, loud and clear,” she said softly while trying to ignore the sudden burn in her chest. 

Steve must have read her body language. “I don’t disapprove of you,” he corrected quickly. “I just want to make sure this isn’t about….well, the sex. I want there to be more.”

“Oh there’s more,” the younger Foster admitted shyly with a slight laugh. “Just not sure how much ‘more’ Bucky feels on his side. I’m not looking to do a ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’. I just….I like the way Bucky makes me feel. I’ve never had that before…it’s nice.” 

“So you care about him?” 

“Yeah,” she conceded. “I do. A lot I think.” 

This time a warm smile spread on Captain America’s face. “I’m glad. I can tell he cares about you. A lot. Just wanted to make sure….he’s always been my best pal.” 

Amy smiled and patted Steve’s hand. “I’ll take good care of him, Steve.” 

“Good. You better,” a very subtle threat from the lips of America’s hero ended the shovel talk conversation. “Now go ahead of update me on your latest info before Darcy and Bucky get back to distract us from our work.”

“I like the distractions,” the little Foster giggled devilishly.

Steve joined her in a chuckle as he pictured Darcy’s beaming face. “Me too,” he admitted with a small shake of his head. “We’re both in big trouble….we better work as much as we can now before they get back and demand us to take breaks.”

“You have good intentions for my friend too, Cap?” Amy asked nonchalantly as she unrolled the scroll in front of her. Steve could see her watching him from the corner of her eye. 

“Only the best. Nothing will happen to Darcy on my watch.”

“Good. Back to work it is. Break later!”

************

Tony Stark had his head tilted to the side as he tried to digest the scene before him. He was not prepared for witnessing the evidence of hell freezing over on this bright Sunday afternoon. Stark had finally left the fumes of his lab as he fielded the latest greatest technological advancement with Brucie only to be told of an unfortunate ship-gate that took place in his tower entrance. Hmmm. Pep might have been right about him getting lost in his own little world when he was science-ing. 

The story of an asshole destroying a dead father’s belongings led him to seek out Mini-Foster, AKA Amy Foster, AKA sister of his science minion Jane Foster. No one could comfort people better than Tony Stark! He was mildly surprised to discover the younger Foster sister was staying with Capsicle and his ex-evil geriatric BFF and not with her sister or (supposed) new best friend Darcy ‘Big Boobs’ Lewis. Most people jumped on the chance to take advantage of his hospitality. But being the amazing host that he was, Tony dragged his ass out of the lab a teensy bit earlier than usual to the apartment of the geriatric super soldiers. Steve opened the door with a scowl seeing it was him. Darcy gave him a sly grin as she welcomed Stark in. 

Tony stopped short at the edge of the kitchen and actually took a step backward so he was out of sight to process what he had just seen. A gorgeous little thing with red hair was in the living room. Stark could only assume that was Mini-Foster. Well shit. Mini-Foster had a rack on her that rivaled Darcy’s. In another life he would’ve been cozying up to her real fast! But that wasn’t the shocking part. No, no. The shocking part was Mini-Foster was sitting on the couch with a beer in hand. James ‘Bucky’ Barnes AKA Sergeant Grumpy-Ass-Pants was sitting on the couch with a beer in hand. But they were sitting next to each other. Like REALLY sitting next to each other. As in Amy Foster was cuddling the Winter Soldier as they watched a football game…..and the Winter Soldier was letting her!!! Not just letting her, but had an arm wrapped around her!! Like, actively participating in the cuddling! 

“Is this a thing now?” he asked with a confused brow with his thumb pointing to the room behind him. Steve tried to shrug off the question, but Darcy broke out in a shit-eating grin that told him everything he needed to know. 

“Why are you here, Stark?” Steve asked to quickly cut off the flurry of emotions Tony would no doubt unleash to embarrass his friend. 

“I came to meet my lab buddy’s sister and try to cheer her up after the horrifying ship-gate incident yesterday morning as Pepper had described to me. But it looks like someone beat me to it…” Stark’s grin was growing wider by the minute and he looked like the Grinch on Christmas ready to pounce on the situation. 

Darcy realized what was about to happen and quickly scribbled something on a note. She held the paper right in front of his face so Stark had to take a step back to read it. “ _Nothing-is-official -don’t-ruin-this-for-them-by-saying-something-stupid-they-are-well-on-their-way-to-badass-togetherness._ ”

Tony arched a brow at the note and looked up at Lewis and Capsicle to question them further. He narrowed his eyes. He just realized something....the Captain was standing awfully close to the former intern... with *gasp* an arm subtly slid around her back along the counter. He motioned with his index finger back and forth toward them to question their togetherness. 

“Tony, don’t even start!” Steve put up a hand to block his thoughts while Darcy continued beaming in a way that confirmed every suspicion. 

“Okay okay, I’ll be good,” Stark sighed in mock disappointment. He really needed to come up for air more often from the lab. Both senior citizens had managed to get themselves lady friends in the short time he had been on a science bender!! Tony walked over to the couch where Amy had finally noticed his presence. Bucky had known he was there from the minute Stark stepped in the apartment, but chose not to acknowledge him since it would distract Amy from her current position against Bucky’s torso. 

“Mini-Foster, I don’t believe we have officially met. You have been staying in my tower and enjoying my luxuries, so I think it is time we become acquainted. Hello, I’m the one and only Tony Stark,” Tony flashed her a wide million dollar smile as he usually did to pose for cameras. 

“Uh, hi? Thanks for the sweet rich boy stuff,” Amy shook his hand with an amused grin. 

“You’re quite welcome!” Stark said loudly before making it a point to try to sit between Amy and Bucky on the couch. Bucky refused to budge. The redhead rolled her eyes and got up to switch to the other end of the couch to accommodate the billionaire-former-playboy-philanthropist. Bucky looked like he swallowed nails. 

“I really came here to offer my condolences on your shitty ex-asshole situation outside my tower yesterday, but based on the repaired ships-in-a-bottle scattered around the room I would bet everything is much better. So instead I will deflect to the current question at hand…tell me, how have you liked working with our two geriatric golden boys?” Tony began in a quick rush of breath as he ignored the low rumbles coming from the Winter Soldier. 

Darcy covered her laugh with a cough while Steve and Bucky looked mutinous. “Stark, is there a purpose to why you are here?” Captain Rogers demanded again. 

“I like this guy,” Amy decided as she tried to stifle her giggle. “You’re kinda an asshole. And I bet you have one hell of a booze stash.”

“Don’t you know it! Only the best. I even have some top-of-the-line vodkas for your Russian friend over here.”

Amy nodded her head thoughtfully. “You should send a bottle up. These guys deserve it.” She gave Bucky an affectionate glance and blushed when their eyes met.

“Oh boy, this is really golden. Well, more than golden. More silver-ish I guess. But I did come by with some news too to cheer you up. An invitation really. Two weeks from Saturday. Big gala. Y’know, in my honor. Well, not really mine. But my idea. It benefits NYC Fire Department. Avenger team needs to be there. Looks good,” Stark said as he stood up from the couch with a stretch.

“We are in the middle of a mission, Stark,” Steve interrupted with his arms crossed. “Y’know, actually doing work.”

Tony looked around with mock confusion. “Oh I’m sorry. Last work I knew about was when you came back from England with bullet holes in your friend. Didn’t realize this,” he gestured to the couch in front of him, ”… was work. Beer and football. Really stickin’ it to HYDRA, Cap!”

Darcy stepped between Steve and Tony as Bucky rose dangerously for the couch. “OKAY children. Tony, let me use the company card and I’ll make sure we are all dressed and attending the fancy occasion!”

Tony gave one hard stare to Steve and a casual glance to Bucky before giving his attention back to Darcy. ”Fine, but no charging ridiculous online purchases to it again or Pepper will take it away,” he said as he headed toward the door. “Oh Lewis,” he called back as he turned the door knob. “Get some nice dresses. You and Mini-Foster have the bods for it…make sure you show off the girls.” With a wink he quickly exited the apartment before Steve could grab for him for that comment.


	9. Chapter 9

“Doll, give the books a break and come over here,” a now familiar voice ordered from the couch as Amy Foster was nose deep in a journal written by one of Alexander the Great’s lieutenants. 

The younger Foster rolled her eyes at the gruff order, but that didn’t stop a small smile from inching on her face. Amy wasn’t sure how it happened, but in almost two months of being at Stark Tower she maybe-kinda-could-be the Winter Soldier’s girl. It was this unspoken relationship that everyone seemed to observe (except Jane because the older Foster had her science blinders on as usual!!). The man who held her tight during a scary mission, threw her ex-boyfriend into a car window, and taught her how to shoot like a badass seemed to actually care about her. One kiss unlocked his lips, and the man was talking all the time now. Even cracking jokes! Well, at least Bucky was talking to her and Steve. He was still silent and scowling around everyone else. Even around Darcy the former Howling Commando was more guarded and didn’t always show himself as the boy from Brooklyn. But that didn’t stop Amy from ever getting tired of hearing his voice. 

“Bucky, I’m trying to do our job! Sam is still off in Egypt gathering intel and I want to be ready to go on our next mission before he comes back!” she protested with a playful huff, but made no attempt to stop her legs that were taking her straight to the source of the voice. Betrayed by her body again! 

The Winter Soldier gladly pulled her into his lap and pressed a gentle kiss on her neck. “Sam will be back in a few days. And I’m not exactly eager to get you back in the field right away. You’ve been studying non-stop since he left. You can afford a break, doll.”

Amy tried to repress the moan that wanted to issue from her throat at the distracting motions his hands were doing. The man turned her on like nobody’s business, and he was obviously making up for lost years with all the sex they were having!! But he was determined to be extra careful with her like she was a precious china doll. She was trying to stick to her story, but that didn’t stop Amy from wrapping her fingers in his hair and nipping his lip back. 

Bucky responded with a slight slap on her ass. “Be good,” he hummed back. 

The younger Foster giggled and got up from his lap so she could resist the temptation to take him to bed again. She didn’t have enough time this afternoon to fool around. “Fine, I’ll take a break from my reading. Want a beer?”

He cocked a brow and nodded. “You know, for a dame you sure drink a lot,” he mentioned nonchalantly as Amy grabbed two beers from the fridge.

The redhead considered the words for a moment and shrugged. “I guess. Some days I don’t drink. And other days I want to have beer. It’s a vice that I don’t try to stop.” She popped the lid off her bottle and took a long sip. She wiped her lips in appreciation of the cold lager and set her bottle on the counter to snuggle up to Sergeant Barnes. “Mmm. I love my vices. Like you….you are definitely one of my vices,” she whispered against his neck as she placed a gentle kiss on his scruff. Bucky went absolutely still underneath her as though absorbing every touch she offered.

“You’re making it awfully hard for me to not drag you off to bed, woman,” he growled softly before reclaiming her mouth with his. 

Amy broke his kiss off with a groan. Damn Darcy! The brunette lab assistant had texted them both earlier to invite (demand, really) Amy to get ready at Darcy’s apartment in the tower for the NYC gala that Stark had invited them to a few weeks prior. Her request (again, demand) for girl’s time with Amy was both exciting and infuriating. On the one hand, Amy hadn’t had much time with Darcy alone since both women spent their free time hooking up with super soldiers, so it would be nice to catch up on Darcy’s dirty deeds with the symbol of honor and truth (AKA Steve Rogers). On the other hand, getting ready with Darcy was severely interfering with Amy’s sexy time with Bucky. First world problems, obviously! 

Amy whined to herself as she grabbed her beer and headed back toward the couch. Her green eyes spotted a ship in a bottle on the end-table next to the couch. Just seeing it there made her chest burn in admiration. Dad would be proud of where one of his ships was now calling home (the rest of them safely in Amy’s closet!). Her mind still couldn’t believe that a super scary assassin had held her close in a moment of pain, and single-handedly done the delicate work of putting fragments of glass back together to repair her prized possessions. She sure as hell needed to thank her lucky stars for the day she met James Barnes! 

“Why don’t we talk about you then?” the younger Foster decided as she took another sip of her beer with her legs crossed underneath her coral shorts on the couch. “If I can’t jump your bones then why don’t you fill me in on an adventure with Steve or how kids these days play their music way too loud?? You guys haven’t told us any stories yet from the ‘good ol’ days’ and I’ve been dying to hear them!”

She knew she said something wrong when the smile slid off Bucky’s face. “I don’t remember much,” he responded after a moment as he took the other beer off the counter and popped the lid off with his metal fingers. 

“Oh,” Amy said awkwardly after a painful moment of silence. DUH, her mind screamed. He was a former BRAINWASHED assassin! “Sorry, Bucky…I didn’t mean to…I mean I know you can’t remember some stuff but you remember other stuff so I didn’t know……what I’m trying to say is I can help if you wanna talk but I don’t wanna pressure you… I…oh crap, I’m making it worse, aren’t I?” 

That earned a slight smile from the Winter Soldier. “You sure know how to make a guy feel special, doll. Maybe you should go back to wanting to…jump my bones? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” he leaned on the kitchen counter and gave her a challenging brow with a sip of his beer. 

Amy shrugged with a small blush. “It’s what I call it, at least!” She gave an exaggerated once over of his body. Nobody should look that delicious in black sweat pants and a gray t-shirt. It did nothing to hide his sculpted features. 

“Steve calls it making love,” the Sergeant responded casually. “I believe that is why he is spending so much time at Lewis’s apartment. It really has nothing to do with research on her days off.” 

That made Amy laugh. The love bruises hiding under Darcy's pants literally confirmed that she and Steve were doing more than ‘necking’. “I think your hypothesis is right.” She set her beer down on the nearby end-table and extended her arms out to wave him over. Bucky gladly obliged and set his beer down next to hers so he could pull her in his arms. It was crazy for her think that the hands that were currently stroking her bottom were more than capable of tightening around necks and gun triggers. She had witnessed it firsthand in England. And yet she wasn’t afraid of him. Not anymore. 

“Why don’t you call it that?” His question in her ear took her by surprise. 

“What?” 

“Making love.”

Her eyes flew open. What kind of question was that??? “I don’t know….sex is just sex I guess. Y’know, these days people sleep around. It doesn’t mean much to people, so I don’t call it that either. It just seems so cheesy….” She suddenly became shy talking about her feelings in front of Bucky. Sure, they were having some freaking amazing sex. And she knew he liked her. But love? Love was a whole other playing field!

Bucky’s right hand found its way on her side to trace along her ribs. “Maybe it’s because you’ve never been treated that way…” he murmured quietly. 

Amy’s breath hitched. Was he trying to imply he could love her?? His eyes were downcast as if he was too nervous to see her reaction. She brushed the hair from her face. “Why, Buck?” she said with a slight laugh, trying to play it off. “You got something to show? A different way?” her voice trailed up at the end of her question, as though desperately hoping the answer to be yes. 

“I might,” he answered simply when his eyes met hers.

Amy’s mind didn’t have a chance to process that when she felt his hot breath against her lips as he pulled her against him for a deep kiss. She felt his tongue gently probing her mouth as he turned her around and lifted her up by her ass to wrap her legs around his waist. “Bucky,” she groaned as she broke the kiss. Her eyes spied the clock. 2:13pm. She needed to meet Darcy at 2:30pm.

“I gotta meet Darcy in like 10 minutes to get ready for tonight.”

“She can wait.”

“But---"

He was already standing up from the couch and walking down to his bedroom. He tossed her down on the bed. “Bucky,” Amy tried to sound stern but couldn’t prevent the giggles as the Winter Soldier peeled off his shirt.

He gave her a devilish grin as he climbed on the bed. “What can I say doll…I guess I have some vices that I just don’t want to stop….”

She didn’t have time to respond to his wit from their earlier conversation. Instead she groaned at the new placement of his mouth. Yeah, Darcy would just have to wait. 

******

“You’re late because you were screwing again!” Darcy declared as soon as she opened the door to her apartment. “Here I sent Steve down to pick up his and Bucky’s tuxedos and you guys chose to be assholes and fuck again!” 

“I tried to stop him!” Amy replied lamely as she entered the doorway and set her bag down on Darcy’s kitchen table.

“Not hard enough apparently!”

“Oh, it was hard enough alright.”

Both women paused for a moment and laughed at Amy’s joke. “Whatever, whatever, just start getting dressed! We don’t want to be late!” Darcy said as she handed Amy’s dry-cleaning bag to her. 

“We won’t. You’ll have plenty of time to divulge to me your latest exploits with Captain America,” Amy replied as she wagged her eyebrows suggestively. 

“Let’s just say you sure as hell can’t be having the amazing orgasms that I am,” the brunette replied smugly with a glance over her shoulder. 

“Wanna bet??” Amy grinned as she began to pull her shirt over her head. 

Soon the girls were laughing and exchanging sex stories that would make their mother’s hair turn gray. Based on Darcy’s stories, it seemed like Steve Rogers was not the virgin that Tony Stark often declared him to be and instead had a little alpha male side to him that liked to boss Darcy around in bed. 

“Dude, give me another example of how he orders you around. Like I just seriously can’t see him doing that!” Amy Fostered giggled as she attempted to put eye-shadow on her crinkled eyes that continued laughing. 

“He likes to order to me to cum. I seriously can’t make that shit up. But honest to god…the best part is I actually do! Either he knows my body so well that he knows when I’m on the edge OR he has a hidden super power involving orgasms,” Darcy replied back in a high-pitched voice while the redhead roared with laughter. 

A ringing sound distracted the friends from their overly graphic sex tales. The video phone on the bathroom wall in Darcy’s apartment was buzzing. The screen showed an incoming call from JANE FOSTER. Amy’s laughter slowly died off. She hadn’t seen her sister or talked to her in almost a month after the whole ship incident. Amy was well aware that her sister blamed her for the destruction of their father’s possessions. She was so lost in her glow with Bucky that she didn’t even want to think about confronting her sister. 

Darcy clicked the answer button. “Well hey there, boss woman. Are you getting dressed or still sexing it up with your hot Asgardian??”

“Hello Lady Darcy,” Thor’s booming voice called from the background.

Darcy giggled like a high schooler as Jane’s face turned bright red. “Ha ha,” Jane conceded with a blush. “I was just calling to say hi….wanted to make sure you and my sister were coming tonight, that’s all.”

There was an awkwardness in her voice. The older scientist was never good at apologizing, but she was good at reaching out. Amy had learned over time to recognize this as the time to stop fighting with each other. “I’m here too, Jane. Darcy and I are getting ready. We will be there tonight!” the red-head leaned from the side of the video tablet so her face appeared into the screen. 

“Oh….oh good. I’m glad,” Jane replied back somewhat lamely. 

“Yep….should be fun,” Amy replied back awkwardly. She decided to address the elephant in the room. “I’m sorry about----well---everything. You were right about Dean. I should have listened to you. He was an asshole. I honestly didn’t know he still had a storage key, but that’s my fault for leaving it. But Dad’s ships are back….Bucky fixed almost all the broken bottles. It took a day and a half but he did it.”

Jane blinked in surprise. “Wow! That was really nice of him….that must’ve been near impossible!” She cleared her throat and smiled hesitantly, “….And I’m sorry too. I know you didn’t do it on purpose. I should be mad at your asshole ex, not you. ”

Amy nodded in gratitude as Darcy let out a long “awwwww” sound. “You guys are sisters and best friends again!” Darcy cooed while Amy flipped her off.

“Well anyway, about tonight…..let’s plan on meeting in front on the steps,” Jane rolled her eyes. “Thor can escort all three of us in.”

Amy and Darcy exchanged glances. “We actually already have escorts….” Darcy began slowly. 

Jane looked confused for a moment before realization dawned. “Who….oh! Of course. Steve and his manners. I couldn’t imagine Steve letting you guys go to any event with an escort!”

Darcy arched a brow in surprise but didn’t say anything. Again, they weren’t exactly shouting their current relationship status from the rooftops, but being in a tower with super heroes meant that the others caught on pretty quick. It looked like Jane was also in the dark when it came to her lab assistant and Captain America. 

“Yep, well, Steve is my date for the night and Bucky is your sister’s date,” Darcy played it off nonchalantly as she applied mascara in the background of the call.

The older Foster furrowed her brow at that. “Just be careful with Bucky, Amy. He’s still not totally stable no matter how calm he seems to be….. Darcy, maybe you should go with Bucky tonight since you know him better.”

“Bucky and I are friends, Jane. He’s a good guy,” the redhead said softly as she uncharacteristically looked down to nervously pick at her fingers.

Her sister was distracted by something off screen. “Thor! No, that’s meant for me to wear on my wrist. It’s not a headpiece for you!!” She turned her attention back to the screen. “Yeah, that sounds good guys. I will just see you inside, kay?”

Darcy raised a brow and tried to stifle a giggle. “Sure thing, boss woman. See you there!” 

The older Foster waved goodbye as the screen blacked out in a click. “You know,” Darcy began, “We should probably tell her what’s been going on. She will be hurt if she finds out we have been seeing super soldiers without her knowledge. 

Amy had already begun shaking her head before Darcy finished the sentence. “She wouldn’t understand Bucky and I. You heard her….she thinks he’s unstable! I don’t need the judgement. And shit, I don’t even know if he and I are considered in a relationship. And neither do you! None of us have had that serious ‘couple’ talk yet and I’m not causing my life more trouble until I know for sure. “

The brunette shrugged. “Fair enough…for now.”

Both girls returned to applying their make-up and putting the finishing touches on their outfits and hair. 

“Well, it’s official. My boobs looks awesome in this!” Darcy exclaimed as she took a step back to admire her work. She stared at her reflection of a bright red, tight belted dress. Her matching red lipstick and big mascara laden eyes completed the outfit. Her idea of dressing 1940s was totally gonna earn them some hot sex later. 

Amy nodded her head enthusiastically. “Yep! Good thing Steve seems like a boob man…..where I think Bucky is an ass guy. Just a hint. He always finds a hand on my ass at least,” the redhead smiled bashfully as she gestured to her longer evergreen colored dress with a slit up the leg. 

“An ass guy, huh? Got any details to go along with that claim?” Darcy asked with a cackle. 

There was a quiet knock on the front door. 

“Get your mind out of the gutter. Nothing like THAT. Details will wait. That’s the guys!” Amy declared as she slipped on her black stilettos. 

Both girls scurried to the entryway of Darcy’s apartment. They did one last hair and teeth check with each other before Darcy opened the door. Straight out of a men’s catalog, Steve Rogers was at the door with his hair styled immaculately and muscles bulging in a bright white tux jacket to match his red bow-tie and black pants. 

“Wow, Darce. You look beautiful!” Steve gushed as he handed her a bouquet of red roses. 

“You cleaned up pretty well yourself, Captain,” Darcy blushed as she took a deep sniff of the flowers. A figure stepped up from behind Steve. “Wow, you clean up pretty well too, solider!” the brunette whistled.  
Darcy accepted Steve’s hug so she could move out of the doorway so Amy could come out in the hallway. Her mouth dropped. The Bucky Barnes she was used to was more soldier all the time with his black pants, casual shirts, scruffy shadow, and unkempt hair. The man in front of her looked like the Bucky Barnes she knew from history books. His long hair was tied behind him in a low bun, his face was shaved, and he was dressed in a black and white tuxedo. Her heart was jumping out of her chest at the hesitant smile he was giving her. 

“I brought you these,” he mumbled as he thrust out a bouquet of pink tulips. 

“Tulips….. thank you,” Amy smiled shyly as she followed Darcy’s lead and smelled the flowers. 

“Gotta love those 1940 values!” Darcy exclaimed as she grabbed both bouquet of flowers and scurried into the apartment to place them on the kitchen counter. “We will get them in vases when we get back. Let’s go to the party!” She interlaced her fingers with Steve and began walking down the hall. 

Bucky stood awkwardly for a moment. His brow was furrowed as he mindlessly smoothed out his tux vest. It was obvious he was painfully out of place in his clothes. Amy smiled and placed a gentle kiss on Bucky’s shoulder. That seemed to wake up the Winter Soldier. “Gotta do it properly, sweetheart,” his voice murmured from above her as he pulled her closer to him for a deep kiss. “You look beautiful…I can’t wait to see that dress on my bedroom floor later.” 

Aha. There was the Brooklyn charm Amy had gotten used to. She swatted Bucky playfully as he offered her his arm and began following Steve and Darcy down the hall.

“No one has ever brought me flowers before,” Amy said casually to express her gratitude as they boarded the elevator with the other couple. 

“Never?” Bucky’s brow was furrowed.

“Boys don’t bring girls flowers these days?” Steve chimed in with just as much confusion.

Darcy snorted. “Flowers usually come after a fight. Never before.”

Amy shrugged in agreement. “But……it’s nice to be treated nice for a change.”

“That’s what you deserve, doll,” a low voice answered back. 

The younger Foster diverted her gaze away to hide her blush. “You do too,” she answered back softly. She cleared her throat when she saw Steve looking at her as if she were an NBC Christmas Special. “Anyway, I hope Tony did right by the firefighters and there is plenty of food and drinks there tonight. If it’s lame, we are SO bailing!”

Darcy had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “If we are there, the party will be anything but lame!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Lots of fluffy feels, angst, and violence straight ahead in these last few chapters! I uploaded Chapter 10 to the ending all at once so make sure you are reading from where you last left off. Thank you for reading!

“Fucking Tony and his adolescent need for attention,” Darcy sighed as they got out of the car. 

A red carpet had been set up in front of the museum where the NYC Fire Department gala was being held. Cameras were lined up along the entrance and taking pictures of the attendees as they entered it. Jane was standing uncomfortably by herself off to the side while Thor was standing next to Clint and Natasha as flash after flash took their picture. 

“Thank god you’re here!” Jane rushed forward to the super soldier duo. “They already grabbed Thor for pictures. I don’t want to be in any photos. Can we go in the back door?”

The girls looked to Steve and Bucky for direction. Steve placed a strong hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “I’ll distract them, Buck. You take the girls in through the back.”

“Sacrificing yourself for us, Steve? You’re my hero,” Darcy beamed as she resisted giving him a kiss in front of Jane. 

Captain Rogers rolled his eyes before sending the group off with a wave. He approached his team mates on the red carpet and joined in the pictures to the delight of every reporter around. 

The inside of the gala was much more formal and low key with violinists playing in the background and appetizers being passed around by fancy dressed waiters. “Sweet! They have bacon wrapped shrimp!” Darcy announced as she grabbed a handful from a waiter as he walked by. 

Bucky’s eyes were continuously darting around the room as he tried to track every stranger he saw. Amy still had her hand in the crook of his elbow and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. 

“Oh! There’s Maria Hill. She must have snuck in the back door too. I’m going to go say hi,” Jane decided as she pointed to the direction she was heading in. 

“Cool. I’m going to go find more food. Meet up with you in a bit, bosswoman!” Darcy replied as she and Jane separated from the duo. Darcy gave them a wink over her shoulder.

Amy smiled. “Well….I think we just got some alone time.” 

The Winter Soldier didn’t respond. His eyes were still traveling the room. The younger Foster cleared her throat and began walking toward the outside patio. “Let’s hangout outside, Bucky. It’s more low key. Good to get air.” 

Again, Bucky didn’t respond, but was grateful for the suggestion. He was starting to become hyper sensitive to the noises around him and was having a hard time staying in control. His metal hand was clenching open and shut in a fist. The outside garden area of the museum was peaceful. There was a long stone patio section with steps going down into the flowers with gravel walkways. 

“This is muuuch better,” Amy beamed as Bucky began to visibly relax. “With my pesky sister out of the way it also allows me to do this….” She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Bucky’s lips. 

The Winter Soldier hummed low in the kiss and wrapped both hands around her waist. “Muuuch better indeed,” he echoed her tone as they slowly broke the kiss. 

The younger Foster smiled shyly. “I like the fresh air. I always have to shrink away at these parties anyway. We do a lot of fundraisers for the museum. I hate it. Free booze and food is good, but I hate the schmoozing and dancing!”

“Dancing? I ain’t never heard a dame say they hate dancing,” Bucky’s Brooklyn charm replied back as his hands continued to gently rub up and down her sides. 

“Well, if it isn’t the horizontal mambo, I’m not interested,” she teased back to a grinning soldier. “But seriously. I don’t know how. I wouldn’t even know where to begin!” 

Sergeant Barnes’ face furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean you don’t know how to dance?”

Amy shrugged. “Never learned. I always say no when asked. Just never knew how.”

“Well, you’re in luck, doll. There are many things I don’t remember in my life, but dancing isn’t one of them. I’ll teach you,” the Winter Soldier pulled her hips closer to his, “And then we can do the horizontal mambo later….”

Amy giggled at his tone and felt her insides flutter at the dazzling smile he was flashing her. He placed a hand on her waist and another hand in her right hand and pulled her closer to him. Slowly they began to sway to the music echoing outside from the inside hall. The younger Foster sister had to resist the urge to squeal in delight. Was she really outside dancing with the fucking Winter Soldier?? 

“Can’t remember the last time I danced,” Bucky said quietly with a wistful edge to his voice. 

“It’s been a while for me too. But somehow it feels like the first time,” Amy replied back as she closed her eyes to the sway of the music. 

A shadow behind Amy diverted Bucky’s attention. The boy from Brooklyn was gone as quick as he appeared to be replaced by the taut Winter Soldier. His body stiffened and he released his hold on his dance partner so he could push Amy behind his back. 

“I know who you are,” a shaky voice announced to the night air. 

The redhead whipped around to see who was talking. Behind her was an extremely frail looking woman. The older man at her side was looking apologetic and was trying to get the woman to move away.   
“I know who you are,” the woman repeated. “I read the papers. You’re the Winter Soldier. This party is for heroes. You are no hero. You are a murderer!” she hissed the last word and pointed a shaking finger toward Bucky. “My grandson was on that flying helicopter in DC when you killed him. You’ve been killing people for too long. You should be dead! You are an abomination!” 

“Gertie!” the man at her side pleaded. “He was brainwashed. He is a Howling Commando. He isn’t to blame.” He directed his attention toward the couple. Bucky’s face was blank and Amy looked horrified. “Please excuse my wife. She is still emotional over our grandson’s death. We truly do appreciate your service, Sergeant.” With that he managed to get the elderly woman to slowly walk away, but that didn’t stop her tears from echoing on the balcony. 

“Your husband is right! James Barnes is a good man!” Amy called after the woman when she finally found her voice. 

She turned her attention back to her lover who was staring blankly at the ground with his jaw tightly clenched. “Bucky?” she asked hesitantly as she touched his arm. 

The Winter Soldier ripped his arm from her grasp and began to storm off. “Bucky! Please! Stop!” Amy called after him as his thundering steps took him feet in front of her. “Fuck!” she shouted as she hit took a bad step in her stilettos causing her ankle to pop.

Bucky jerked around at her voice in pain and huffed angrily. “Are you even able to not hurt yourself all the goddamn time?” 

“I’m sorry,” Amy mumbled as he stomped back over to where she stood massaging her ankle. “Let’s go back to the tower. Please?”

He looked hesitant for a moment at the idea of taking her with him, but mentally conceded to the hurt expression on her face. He nodded and led them back toward the entrance to catch a ride home with a Stark driver.

*** 

The Winter Soldier was scary silent the entire car ride back to the tower. He was already storming inside the building while Amy was asking the driver to let the rest of the group know she and Bucky had left the gala early. Amy dared not bring up what happened on the balcony yet. Bucky was still breathing hard through his nose and clenching his jaw when they entered the door to him and Steve’s apartment. Immediately the Soldier began to rip off his tux outfit so nothing remained but his white undershirt and black pants.

The younger Foster kicked off her high heels and played with the edges of her evergreen dress. Bucky had found a seat on the couch and had his head buried in his hands. The redhead stood awkwardly for a moment. What was the protocol here? She had a feeling she was about to witness a Winter-Soldier meltdown that Jane had warned her about. But it didn’t feel right to leave him alone in a moment of pain, no matter how dangerous it was. She followed her instincts. 

Amy sat down next to Bucky and hesitantly touched his metal arm. “Fuck that bitch,” she said softly. “You’re the best guy I know.” 

“No I’m not,” Bucky snarled as he tore his arm away and cursed a few times in Russian. “You don’t know the things I’ve done.”

Amy pursed her lips and looked down at the ground. “Yes I have. I read the file too,” she confessed softly. “But I’m still here.”

“Then you’re a fool,” the Winter Soldier said low under his breath.

The redhead sat back as if she had been slapped. She tried to resist the tears in her eyes that came from the sting of her lover’s words. “I know,” the younger Foster answered simply. “People tell me that all the time.”

Bucky paused at that. Amy took a deep breath before continuing on. “I’ve made a lot of dumb choices in life,” the redhead admitted as she played with a ring on her hand. “My sister likes to throw that in my face a lot. And she’s right. I know I have great potential in history, but I’m willingly choosing a deadbeat position so I can keep up my partying. I mean, if people don’t expect much of you it’s not like you’ll ever disappoint them.” 

She took a deep breath and forced her eyes up to look at Bucky. “But you….the things you’ve done for me, said to me…..no one has ever done that. Like, you had faith in me from day one. Even Steve thought I was just gonna be a fuck-up here in his mission. But you believed in me. You trained me. I just feel…..happy….when I’m around you. You make me feel like I can actually be myself. I don’t need make up, no sexy clothes, nothing. Just me. And you like me.” 

She stood up and cleared her throat. “So when I tell you, Bucky, that you are the best guy I know, you better damn well believe me because I’m right and I have experience in this field. I don’t give two shits to the wind what you used to do as a prisoner with Hydra. So stop with that pouty look and embrace your badassness because you deserve puppies and rainbows and sex and everything that is good in this world! Seriously!” 

Amy paused and turned bright red as she found Bucky was still staring at her blankly. He slowly stood up and took a hesitant step toward her so he could gently twist his hand in her hair to pull her toward him in a gentle kiss. It was like an explosion of fire against his velvety lips. Amy’s mouth was tingling from the surge of emotions and feeling running through her body. She was trying to convey everything she felt for him in one kiss. She was breathless when he finally broke the embrace. 

“No one will ever treat you poorly again,” he swore against her neck. “You’re a goddamn beauty and don’t you forget it.” 

She was kissing him again with such fervor and desperation that she thought she might combust if he didn’t touch her back. And then it was as if the heavens parted when she felt his hands slide down her side. “Please,” she begged as her head tilted back so he could kiss down her neck. “I need to feel you.”

Their clothes were off within seconds of reaching Bucky’s bedroom. No time was wasted. When he plunged into her, he did so as a man desperate for a drink of a water in a long time of thirst. Their movements were slow and controlled, but so much more intense than Amy had experienced. She vaguely thought to herself that this was what making love felt like. She needed this man to know she loved every inch of him, and she was trying to communicate that every time she lifted her hips to meet his thrusts. 

It wasn’t long before she came with a quiet cry into his shoulder. He followed her soon after with a low groan before collapsing on top of her. They laid attached to each other for a few minutes before Bucky rolled over. Amy immediately latched onto his side so she could rest her head on his shoulder. 

Her eye-lids were already drooping and she yawned as she shimmed closer into him. “Love you, Soldier,” she murmured before closing her eyes. Her body gave into her exhaustion soon after. She didn’t see the look of terror on his face at her declaration, nor feel his body detach from her shortly after.


	11. Chapter 11

Amy Foster woke up the next morning with a bright smile on her face. Her eyes were still closed when she stretched and rolled over to find the warm chest she sought to cuddle with missing. Her eyes flicked open as she sat up and looked around the room. Her green gala dress was crumbled on the floor next to her stilettos. But where was Bucky? Maybe he was making her breakfast. She quickly threw on her clothes that had been finding a resting place in Bucky’s room lately. She was clad in running shorts and tank top when she emerged from the bedroom with a yawn. 

“Hey, you disappeared on me! Is breakfast on the stove?” Amy said warmly as she spotted Bucky sitting at the kitchen counter. Her grin fell as she saw he was staring blankly in front of him.

“That isn’t going to happen again.” The voice was so cold and lifeless that Amy actually turned around to see if there was someone else in the room.

“Uhh, what do you mean? Are you having an anxiety attack or something?” the redhead replied as her chest began to tighten. 

“What we did. You. And me. It isn’t going to happen. This isn’t an attack. I know exactly what I’m saying,” the Winter Soldier replied with his eyes still staring across from him. 

Amy’s brow furrowed in confusion. “B—but, last night…we….I mean this whole time…..I thought you and I could maybe have a chance together…”

“No.” 

Her mind still couldn’t process what was happening. “Bucky, what’s going on? Is this about last night? I already told you that bitch can---“

“It’s not about her. I don’t want this. I’m tired of the act.”

“The act?”

His smirk was mocking. “What do you think? That I would wake up and be some charming guy? You were just an experiment in modern life. An easy way to practice my skills. But I’m done. It’s not worth the trouble anymore. It’s over. Go back to your life in California.” 

His icy response actually rendered her speechless. “You don’t want me?” her voice came out so pathetic sounding that she hardly recognized it as her own. 

The Winter Soldier’s stone eyes locked with hers so there could be no mistaking his reply. “No. I don’t want you. ” 

They both paused in their conversation when they heard keys turning into the apartment front door. The door opened to reveal Steve Rogers with a huge smile on his face (the kind of smile people get from a long night of sex). His smile dropped instantly with one look at the blank face on Bucky and the tears in Amy’s eyes. 

“I see,” Amy continued while ignoring Steve. She scoffed to herself and willed herself to not let a single tear fall in front of Bucky. She picked up her purse from its resting place on the floor and grabbed a pair of running shoes next to it. 

She stopped in front of the apartment door. “Well I’m glad you got your practice at least. I hope the pussy was good enough for you.”

“Amy wait----“ Steve began before Amy slammed the apartment door shut. 

She was running to the elevator bank at the end of the hallway and was rapidly pushing the call button as the tears burned in her eyes. It was only after the steel doors closed shut that Amy allowed the sobs to escape as she put on her shoes. How could she have been so stupid? She fell for it with her ex and now she fell for it again with Bucky. She was worthless. No guy actually wanted her. As the elevator continued down she thought about where she could go. There was no way she could face her sister and listen to Jane remind her about how stupid she was for liking a guy like Bucky. Darcy would understand, but Amy didn’t want to fuck up her morning-after-sex glow with her bullshit. Thankfully she didn’t have to. 

The elevator doors opened in the lobby to reveal Darcy with a tray of coffee. “Goood mor----holy shit what happened to you?” the brunette demanded. 

“I’m getting the hell out of here. I’m not doing this shit anymore,” the younger Foster sputtered before she took off running for the glass doors.

“Wait!” a voice called behind her. Darcy pushed up her glasses and took after her friend, the coffee long forgotten on the floor in the elevator. “For the love of Thor, Amy, please wait!” she begged as the redhead sped across a sidewalk and kept running. 

Darcy followed her for a few blocks as best as she could. “It’s 60 degrees outside….. and….. you’re in…. workout….. clothes. At least…. tell me…..what happened,” Darcy shouted after her in between deep breaths. 

“I’m not fucking going back in there!” Amy yelled as she stopped suddenly on a side street. “I’m not doing anything with that fucking asshole. He fucks me and then tells me this morning that he doesn’t want me and it was all practice for him for modern times!! Rogers can save the world from HYDRA without my help. I’m done!” The tears were burning in her eyes again. “Darcy,” Amy began with a quieter voice after a deep breath. “I really fell for him. Why am I never good enough?” 

The lab assistant grabbed her friend in a sweaty hug. “Did Bucky say he didn’t want you? ‘Cause that’s a load of shit. You know Bucky and his high and mighty anxiety and hatred for himself. He thinks he isn’t good enough for you. I know it. Anyone can see how crazy he is about you. He’s just afraid of you getting hurt!”

Amy let a few tears fall and opened her mouth to respond before her eyes caught something else over Darcy’s shoulder. Darcy turned around to see what she was looking at. Three black SUV’s drove up.   
The redhead hissed in anger. “Jesus Christ, we can’t do anything without fucking Stark or SHIELD interfering! He even sends his idiots after us if we leave the tower without permission. I’m not fucking going back to be humiliated!” 

Darcy groaned and began to walk toward the SUV’s when the occupants got out of the car. A quick scan of faces made Darcy realize she didn’t know any of them. “Oh my god,” she whispered. “I don’t know if they are SHIELD or Stark’s.”

A screeching of brakes revealed another set of SUV’s blocking the other side of the alley. “If they aren’t SHIELD or Tony’s…..then who are they?” Amy whispered back in a shaky voice. 

The girls didn’t even have a chance to turn around to run before they were surrounded and pinned down from all sides. Darcy managed one word before needles were jammed in their necks and the world went black. 

“HYDRA.”

** 

A buzzing sound woke Amy Foster up with a loud gasp. Her head was throbbing as she pulled it off the cement floor. She jumped in surprise to find she was lying in a small pool of blood. A quick touch to her head and blood on her hand confirmed that she was the one who was bleeding. “Don’t move too quickly,” a raspy voice said from behind her.

She turned around to see Darcy with a black eye and split lip. “They hit you pretty good when they dropped us off. You’re still bleeding,” the brunette explained. 

“Where are we?” Amy croaked as she placed a hand on her oozing gash. 

The former intern shrugged. “No clue. I didn’t wake up until we were already here. Probably another HYDRA cell somewhere.”

The redhead slowly scooted toward the cement wall so her back could rest against it. “What could they want with us? We aren’t special!”

The metal door to the room creaked open and echoed in the blank room. “Actually Ms. Foster, you are special. In your own way.” 

“Fuck you, dude! You grabbed the wrong people!” Darcy spat on the ground leaving a small blood spot behind. 

The spectacled man simply laughed. “Such a passion…..I can see why they like you…”

Amy’s stomach dropped. “Why who like us?” she asked slowly. 

The HYDRA leader grinned. “Captain Rodgers and the Asset, of course.” 

Darcy exchanged a frightened look with Amy. The redhead tried to put on a brave face despite the fear knotting in her body. “Well, you’ve wasted your time. I’m nothing to Bucky but an easy lay, and Darcy isn’t involved with Steve. We aren’t special to them.”

“Yet you call them Bucky and Steve? Go on missions with them to see if you can sniff out our trail? Seems personal to me….plus our sources have told us different. No, Ms. Foster….”the older man’s voice dropped a little, “It’s obvious from the photographs we have…..we can see the way they look at you. The way they move. Everything about them is like an alpha protecting a mate. Plus your relation to Thor and the other Avengers…..well, let’s just say you two are our own secret weapons”.

Darcy and Amy exchanged petrified looks. How was HYDRA getting this information?? 

The man seemed to read their minds. “It’s amazing how much lowly SHIELD agents gossip with each other in places that are wired with our surveillance. Your relationships aren’t public, but there are many in the SHIELD ranks who have speculated. I heard you learned about our fascination of military leaders and electro shock. Lightening seems to be nature’s way of scrambling genes and re-setting the brain. I’m sure you’re fascinated to know that all of those leaders were able to withstand even the fiercest battle blows without faltering. As if their skin became their own armor….” The evil man’s voice became wistful before he cleared his throat to refocus. “You actually gave us more credit than due. It was just a theory. We haven’t had a chance to properly test it. For all we know it could be just a superstition and coincidence. So I’m sure you’ll be pleased to be our tools to find the correct answer.” 

“Oh my god,” Darcy sighed with a helpless mew. “What are you going to do with us?”

The man grinned as the door opened wider to bring more goons into the room. The girls clawed against their captors but found themselves once again tied up. The HYDRA leader laughed. “You will become the very weapons they cannot destroy.”


	12. Chapter 12

Amy struggled against the metal chair that had her limbs clasped against it. Tears poured down her face as she realized the uselessness of the struggle. She was totally and completely at their mercy. 

A man with a white coat walked up to her and shoved a mouth guard in her mouth. “Start with 350 mega volts. See how she responds.” 

The younger Foster didn’t have a chance to react before she felt searing pain traveling up and down her body. After what felt like hours, the shock was turned off. “She handled 350,” a man observed while writing on a clipboard. “Let’s try 500 now.” 

A few more tears fell from Amy’s eyes as she squeezed them shut to scream against the mouth guard in the next round of pain. The process kept repeating. One man would make observations while the other wrote on his little clipboard. Amy wasn’t sure if they did it for minutes or hours. Time seemed to stand still as she fought against the pain. When they finally released the clamps, the redhead fell down painfully from the chair onto her knees and stomach as her muscles spasmed underneath her. All her limbs refused to work as she felt herself still twitching and jerking around. 

She leaned her head to the side as she vomited mostly blood. Amy was still coughing and gasping for breath when the alarms in the compound began to sound. “Dammit! They found us quicker than we thought!” one of the men shouted as he watched footage on a nearby video screen. He opened the door to the room to cautiously peer out. 

The goon gasped in pain before he fell down to the floor with a thud. The other scientist quickly joined him. Darcy limped into the room with a metal bar in hand. “One of the guards was stupid enough to leave the door open when he tried to rape me,” she explained quickly as she helped Amy to her feet. “We have to get out of here. I think we are underground. We need to get to the top floor.” 

Darcy had one hand on the wall and another underneath Amy’s still-vibrating body as she tried to drag them both down the hallway. “Jesus, what did they do to you?” Darcy demanded when her friend continuously shook against her.

“Sss…shhhh….ooo..cck,” Amy managed to sputter from her moving mouth. 

“Shock?? What the fuck!” Darcy hissed as she continued to try to steady her shaking friend. 

Their movement down the long hallway was slower than the brunette wanted considering they were balls-deep inside an underground HYDRA cell with an emergency alarm blasting. After a few twists and turns into side hallways, Darcy found what looked like an old emergency escape latch. It was enclosed in a long vent opening that had a ladder that seemed to be a straight shot to the surface. For some reason the goons weren’t using it. Normally the lab assistant would have taken it for a bad sign, but given Amy’s current state, Darcy just wanted to find an exit and take it. 

“Can you climb?” Darcy asked as Amy was sputtering and shaking against the wall. 

The redhead nodded but it came across as a bobbing head as she tried to wipe the mixture of drool and blood off her face. Her green eyes saw the impossible feat in front of her, but she needed to make sure Darcy got out. “Gg..go,” she jerked her arm. 

The brunette pursed her lips in reluctance, but knew she needed to go first to pull Amy up from the top. Despite a slight fear of heights, Darcy made quick work of the ladder. Her hand found the opener at the top and discovered that the handle was stuck. Fucking of course! She yelled as she used all her strength against the rusted latch. Finally the metal thing squeaked open. Darcy gave a small sigh of relief as she wiped her (now) bloody palms on her shirt. She pushed the top open and peered her head out.

It was like a war zone outside. It looks like they were in the middle of nowhere at an old abandoned factory in a field. Except now gunfire riddled the air and there were explosions from every direction. Darcy could faintly spot the outlines of Iron Man and Thor flying around the paddock into the swarms of soldiers shooting at them. No one seemed to notice her. “Hey!” she shouted as she waved her arms toward the sky. “Thor! Tony! Over here!”

She climbed out of the chute onto the field. “Amy! I can see them. Keep climbing! I will get help!” Darcy shouted. She could see the younger Foster not that far below, but the redhead was painfully gasping each time she moved a limb up higher. 

The brunette lab assistant turned around to wave for help again when was slapped onto the ground. “You fucking bitch. Sir, they escaped!” a goon said into his earpiece as he gave Darcy a good kick to her stomach. The goon didn’t have a chance to reply when Darcy snarled and lunged toward him using a move Natasha taught her.

Amy could hear her friend screaming and yelling against the male assailant and could make out their shadows near the latch opening. She willed her body to continue moving even though each move felt like a knife in her side. 

She was sobbing as she clawed her way from the underground ladder and onto the moist soil. The dirt sunk under her fingertips as she fought desperately to stand upright even though her muscles continued to spasm underneath her. She was lying flat on her belly and trying to get onto all fours. Her hand reached for the soldier’s ankle as he continued to fight against Darcy. This got Amy a nice kick in her face just as the soldier began to reach for his gun. 

A shot rang through the air. Amy felt her body freeze, fearing that she just got her friend shot. Instead she rolled over to watch the goon fall backwards into the open chute with a bullet in his forehead.   
“Lewis! Foster!” a voice called out to them. 

There were more shouts as a sturdy arm came to scoop under Amy and another smaller one under Darcy. “Let’s go!” Natasha shouted as she and Clint lifted the women up to their feet.

Amy’s knees immediately buckled from underneath her as Hawkeye tried to support her dead weight. “Cap, Sarg! Over by the jet! We found them!” Clint shouted above the gun fire into his ear piece.

Darcy was crying against Natasha as the fierce assassin tried to comfort her. “Tears later, Darcy. We need to move. Keep this arm against your body and run with me,” Natasha ordered as she placed an obvious broken arm against the brunette’s body and jerked her other arm around her shoulder. They began to run to the nearby jet.

“Fuck, Foster’s banged up pretty bad,” Clint huffed as he cradled the redhead against him as she still shook uncontrollably with a bloody face. He was running zig-zag to avoid the gunfire now aimed toward them.   
Another loud explosion stopped the nearby gunfire. “We got ‘em!” Clint shouted again to two figures now running up beside them as they reached the jet. 

Darcy turned her head in the direction Clint was looking, and found herself instantly in the arms of Captain America. “Oh Darcy, thank god!” Steve whispered as he held her tight against him. His embrace was short. They were in the middle of a fire fight. “Nat, Clint, go help Thor and Tony wrap things up. Buck and I will take it from here. You have 2 minutes to circle back and get everyone on board.

“Done,” Natasha said firmly as she and Clint ran toward the smoking bunker entrance. 

With her eyesight glowing blurry Amy didn’t realize that Bucky had grabbed her from Clint until she turned her head to see what was happening. She jumped a little when she looked at his face and found it covered with his Winter Soldier goggles and mask. She tried to squirm from his grasp.

He froze for just a moment before following Steve in a sprint inside the waiting jet. When he set her down inside he immediately tore off his mask and goggles and began inspecting the younger Foster. He ripped open the packaging of some gauze in their first aid kit to apply it to her bleeding head and now eye where the goon had kicked her. His metal hand was trying to steady her shaking body. “What’s wrong with her?” he growled loudly, “Why can’t she lay still?” 

“She said she got shocked…she’s been shaking like that since I found her,” Darcy answered with a soft cry as she attempted to straighten out her obviously broken arm. Steve was wrapping it in a make-shift sling against her shoulder.

“Electroshock,” the Winter Soldier whispered with furious eyes. 

Steve made eye-contact with Bucky. “Revenge later. Steady her out before she makes herself become paralyzed with a violent twitch!” the Captain ordered as he ripped a packaged needle from the first aid kit and tossed it in Bucky’s waiting hand. 

Bucky hesitated with the syringe for only a moment before slamming it in Amy’s stomach. The redhead yelled in pain before the jerky movements of her limbs began to subside. The Winter Soldier was gently ‘shhing’ her as he rubbed her leg as it slowly began to stop shaking.

“Talk to her, Buck. That is temporary paralysis. She’ll be scared when she can’t move,” Steve ordered as he buckled Darcy in her jumpseat nearby. The Captain was already rubbing soothing circles on Darcy’s forehead. 

The Winter Soldier began stroking Amy’s cheek as soon as her body calmed down. He sat her up so she was lounging back in a first aid stretcher on the jet. “Look at me,” he demanded as her eyes were traveling wildly around the room. “It’s just temporary, Amy. It’ll help make the pain go away. Soon it will make you fall asleep. I’m right here. I won’t leave your side….never again…. You are everything to me, doll.” His voice was soft and his brown eyes were desperate as he searched her face for a response. 

Amy scrunched her nose at his words as the tears rolled down her face. Bucky took a damp cloth and continued to wipe the blood away. Clint and Natasha were getting back on the jet as they assured Steve that Thor and Tony were handling the clean-up. Amy’s vision started to get blurry and she mewled helplessly as the room was getting darker. She felt a hand slip in hers when her body gave into the exhaustion


	13. Chapter 13

“Bucky, we will wait by her side. You can leave the room. You should rest.”

Amy felt her brain wake up to these words. She faintly registered Bucky telling Steve to ‘fuck off’ when she moaned and tried to sit up. Hands were immediately on her shoulders keeping her down. 

“Amy? Yo woman! Are you alive?” Darcy practically shouted from her right side. 

The younger Foster opened her mouth to reply but coughed desperately for air instead. This time the hands on her shoulders gently propped her up so she could take a few deep breaths. After taking a sip of water from the straw shoved in her mouth, Amy blinked a few times to clear the haze around her. The first thing she could see was Darcy with her arm in a red, white, and blue cast and a bandage on her forehead. “Welcome to the land of the living again, friend. We survived!” Darcy smiled sweetly. 

Steve had an arm around Darcy’s waist and smiled a greeting. “We were really worried. You’ve been in and out of consciousness these past three days,” he explained to her questioning glance. 

“B…bu..buc,” Amy tried using her voice. 

Captain Rogers nodded in understanding. “I’m right behind you, doll,” a gruff voice came from Amy’s left ear. The younger Foster jumped slightly at the voice but let her head lean back so it was against his shoulder. 

Darcy and Steve exchanged a knowing glance. “Well, we will give you two some time alone. The nurses have already been yelling at me for not staying in my bed enough. To my room, my prince!” Darcy announced as she held her arms out so Steve could cradle Darcy in his arms.

“We will be back in a bit,” the Cap said to Bucky who nodded in reply. 

After they left, the only noise in the room was the ‘beep, beep’ of the heart monitor. Amy tried testing out her strength by moving her legs up under the blankets so they were bent. She took a deep breath at the exertion. “Take it easy, doll. Your muscles need some more time to rest. Give it a few days,” Bucky lightly chided her. 

Rather than reassuring, Amy found herself angry at hearing Bucky’s voice. She turned her head around, intending to snarl out a response, but met the pathetic eyes of the Winter Soldier instead. Her expression softened at the guilt radiating off of him. She licked her lips and jerked her head in the direction of her water. Bucky followed her lead and placed the straw in her mouth while he held the cup. 

She turned her head away from him when she was finished drinking. Suddenly the idea of him being there with her after her painful rejection felt extremely overwhelming. Add on top of that feelings being tortured and kidnapped and Amy was having a fucking fantastic week!! The tears were burning in her eyes, and she couldn’t stop them from trickling down her cheeks. 

A cold metal arm and a warm flesh arm wrapped around her as Bucky gently pulled her back against his back. “I was lying,” he began quietly. “Y’know. The other morning……..I….I, uh, just kinda thought you were better off without me. That woman was right…I’m no good guy, you see. I’m no Stevie. And you’re….you’re so wonderful. Thought you deserve someone better than me… that’s all. Knew I had to lie to get your stubborn butt moving.” 

Amy allowed herself to smile softly at that, though her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was ready to jump outta her chest. Bucky continued on with his confession. “Steve ripped me a new one, of course, after you left. Punk made me realize I was a goddamn idiot. But it was too late….they had taken you.” He snarled quietly at the memory. “Nothing like getting your girl taken away to realize how much it all meant to you. This was all my fault…..and I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness……but I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Whaddya say doll….will you give an old man a second chance?” 

The younger Foster was crying again and twisted her body around so she could bury her face in Bucky’s neck as she nodded. “I….was…so…scared,” she stammered into the heat of his body. 

“Never again. I’m here now. Not going anywhere….I love you too much to lose you,” the Winter Soldier whispered in her ear as he placed a gentle kiss on top of her head. 

She grabbed him tighter at his declaration of love and finally allowed her body to relax against him. Bucky seemed to reach his quota of words for a lifetime and didn’t speak anymore. Instead he continued holding her against him, never again taking for granted the heat of her skin. 

Amy was asleep by the time Steve returned. “Darcy’s sleeping too. Finally got her to conk out after watching two movies. Came by to check on you,” Steve explained to Bucky’s questioning glance. 

Captain America dragged a chair closer to the bed. “You confess your feelings? Grovel for forgiveness? Told her you’re a good man too and deserve every ounce of her love?” 

“Don’t push it, punk. She’s a goddamn angel and I don’t deserve her, but there’s no way I’m giving her up again,” Bucky growled back. 

“Well, we agree to disagree on the deserving part then,” Steve replied with a light laugh. 

The Winter Soldier ‘hmmphed’ to himself as he re-positioned himself against the upright hospital bed. “Mission report?” he asked the Captain once he was comfortable. 

“Evidence HYDRA was studying electroshock therapy as a means to recreate lightning strikes. Other than that there is no evidence of military leader abilities and lightning. Just a superstition at this point,” Captain America replied as he kicked his feet up in the reclining chair while Bucky nodded his head thoughtfully. 

There was a moment of silence in the room. 

“Doc says she will be here a few more days while her muscles and nerves recover. It’s a miracle there is no long-term damage. Just a shorter recovery with some physical therapy. I been thinkin’, she needs a place to stay. More long-term. Needs someone looking after her. Got a problem with adding another roommate to the mix permanently?” Bucky probed casually with his eyes locked on Amy. 

Steve Rogers tried to resist the overwhelming urge to hug his friend. Had his friend truly found happiness? “I don’t see why not, Buck,” he began smoothly. “Seeing as how I already invited Darcy to move her things in. Can’t have our girls go missing again. Not on our watch.”

“Two dames in one apartment, huh?” Bucky smirked back. “If only the boys could see us now.”

Captain America’s eyes drifted toward the ceiling. “I’m sure they are, Bucky. Gotta feeling there will be plenty more stories to keep them entertained for a long time coming.” 

“Good,” the Winter Soldier replied softly. He tucked his long hair behind his ear and allowed his head to rest on top of his girl’s. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so content.


	14. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted Chapter 10 through the Epilogue all at once so please make sure you are on the current chapter!

“Good call on bringing your mini-me to the tower, Foster. Her research was actually pretty impressive and surprisingly accurate. And her kidnapping, while totally not cool, eventually lead us to a huge HYDRA hub. So nice job, slugger!” Tony Stark gave Jane’s arm a slight punch. 

Jane gave him a pleased smile. “Yeah….I’m proud of Amy. She really did step up to the plate. She might be able to settle down now….maybe even find herself a nice guy for a change and be happy for once!” 

Tony narrowed his eyes in confusion as Jane gestured to her sister sitting on the other side of the room, but completely seemed to miss who Amy was latched onto. “You know, they are officially a thing,” Stark said as he took a sip of his drink.

“What do you mean? Who?” Jane answered casually as she poured herself some champagne. 

Stark swiveled around so he leaned against the table and faced Jane. He jerked his head in the direction of Amy and Bucky. “You know, your sister. Mini-Foster. And Tinman. The geriatric former brainwashed assassin. They are a couple.”

The older scientist looked at him as though he was speaking gibberish. “No, you got it all wrong. He helped rescue her, but they are just friends. They’ve been working together.”

“He was by her side the entire time she was recovering in the hospital!”

“So were Steve and Darcy. They all grew close working together as a team. Doesn’t mean they are sleeping together!”

Tony shrugged and popped an olive in his mouth. “Stay in denial. Barton can back me up….Barton! Come over here!” the billionaire waved over Hawkeye.

“Hi Jane,” Clint smiled.

“Tell Foster here who her sister has been doing the dirty deed with for months,” Tony ordered with sparkling eyes as he watched Jane’s facial expression. 

“Who? You mean Bucky?” Clint answered back calmly. He choked on his beer as Jane yelled in horror.

“MY BABY SISTER HAS BEEN SLEEPING WITH THE WINTER SOLDIER!?!?” she shrieked as she spun her head around to spot Amy lounging in Bucky’s arms on the couch. The room went silent.

“Oops. Forgot to tell Jane,” Amy muttered with an amused grimace.

Thor caught Jane in time just as she fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read! The rest of my stories are one-shots of Amy and Bucky's relationship as it progresses over time if you are interested in reading more :)


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